The Chink in Your Armor: The Unlikliest of Heroes
by Darev
Summary: An AU to Zenith. Nerissa is taking over the universe one world at a time. The only ones left to stop her are a rebel leader, his best friend, an old war hero, a deposed prince...and a passling?
1. Chapter 1

**Synopsis: At the end of "Zenith", Nerissa's betrayal has endowed her with the Scepter of Phobos and the sorceress is now the most powerful being in the universe. With the guardians under her control, she begins her conquest of Earth, Meridian and eventually Candracar. The rebels are no match for their combined forces. Caleb and Julian escape but it is only a matter of time when they must face the power-hungry woman again. They must seek new allies, develop new strategies and find a base from which to launch their counterattack against Nerissa. But they are not the only ones who have a score to settle with her.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own WITCH. If I did, there would be no Queen Lillian or Glamour Zones. (Hate that name) All characters are property of Disney but all original characters, places, names and plots are my own. (Do we have to write this every time?)**

**Author: This is an AU (Alternate Universe) concept I had in mind. Granted it's taken from "Z is for Zenith", in the part where Nerissa fantasizes she has taken over the universe and the guardians are her slaves. Well that's pretty much what happened except that Caleb and Julian have escaped and have formed a resistance movement against the sorceress. I liked that part of the episode and I wondered just how would the story have turned out if Nerissa really did win? Now she has the scepter, the guardians, Candracar and a legion of monsters at her command. Just how the hell is Caleb supposed to beat her? The only way he can do that is to find the chink in her armor.**

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1- Prologue: Out of a Dream and Into a Nightmare

The scream echoed off the walls and filled the tunnels. Caleb shot up so abruptly it was if somebody had stepped on his stomach. His eyes were wide open, scanning the darkness for signs of a threat. All his senses were on full alert and he reached for his sword which he kept at all times beside his cot when the curtain that separated his quarters from the hall flung open and an intruder entered.

In a flash, Caleb was up and armed, tossing aside his blanket and getting into a fighting stance. His form was perfect. Whoever the intruder was he would forever regret this moment. Caleb would make sure that his blade would be the last thing the assassin had ever seen. He may very well have succeeded had the man not been just as fast or as well trained. He parried Caleb's first offense, deflecting his sword to the side. Caleb went with it, maneuvering his body around to catch the man from behind, but he had been expecting just that. In fact, he seemed to know Caleb's every move. What's worse, he appeared to have a fighting style similar to his own.

Their blades met again. And again. The rebel leader was not going to have it easy finishing this bastard off. He screamed. The sound filled the air no doubt alerting the guards of the battle. Reinforcements would be close at hand but Caleb wouldn't need any help killing his enemy. In a dizzying move, Caleb went in low throwing the man's balance off and forcing him to lean down. Caleb was kneeling, his center of gravity much closer to the ground so we would control the momentum.

His reflexes kicked in, spinning his leg around to trip the assassin down on his back. He let out a groan of shock and fear and dropped his sword. Caleb reared back up and prepared to deal the killing blow. He raised his sword and let out a war cry.

"Caleb!"

He stopped. The voice was familiar. Too familiar.

"F…father?" He said through gasps.

The fight was over as soon as it had begun. Outside, the guards had reached the room. They rushed the doorway, two men going out to either side while another went in through the middle. He held up a torch to illuminate the room; all three were armed to the teeth. Caleb recognized one of those men immediately. It was Aldarn, his best friend and second in command. The blue-skinned warrior looked in shock at the sight before him. His gaze fell on Caleb who was frozen in his killing pose.

"What in the Hells is going on?" He asked.

"Caleb." Julian said again.

Caleb looked down at his father, his own sword hanging dangerously over his chest. As if the handle had suddenly become red hot, Caleb flinched and tossed it aside. It fell at Aldarn's feet and he took a step back to further assess the situation. Aldarn raised the torch high so that the entire room was lit up. "Caleb, explain." When he received no answer he regarded Julian who was still on the floor. "Master Julian?"

Caleb's father raised his hand toward the guards. "Please. Lower your weapons. It was just a misunderstanding."

"Misunderstanding?" Aldarn asked as if he had never heard the word before. "We hear somebody scream and then rush down hear to find your son poised to kill you and you call it a misunderstanding?"

"Scream." Caleb muttered. "There _was_ a scream. I heard someone cry out. I woke up, saw someone enter my room and thought he came in to kill me. I," He paused. He turned to his father who had yet to pick himself off the ground. "The scream. Who was it?"

"It was you, son." Julian said. "I heard you scream and came in to find out what was wrong. You attacked me soon after that."

"No." Caleb staggered back until he could no longer thanks to the cave wall. "Father, I'm…I'm so sorry…please," he slumped to the ground. "Please forgive me."

Julian stood up. "Aldarn, would you please leave us."

"But,"

"It's alright." Julian said. "I just need to have a talk with our leader."

Aldarn looked to Caleb. He was sulking now, his once proud shoulders sinking lower and lower, rising only with the exasperated breaths he allowed himself. He did not look much like a leader. Or a warrior. Or a man even. He looked defeated. Aldarn had never seen his friend that way before.

"Of course." He motioned for the guards to leave first. He took one last look at Caleb and Julian before departing, but he left the torch on a stand by the entrance so at least the two wouldn't have to talk in the dark.

Once they had left, Julian walked up to his son. His face grew stern. "Get up."

Caleb did not comply.

Julian forcefully grabbed him and pushed him against the wall. "I said get up! You are the leader of the Resistance. Now start acting like one else the men may lose faith in you." His sharp words seemed to break Caleb out of his state albeit if for a moment. Softening, Julian held him by the shoulders. "Now, what is wrong, my son?"

"Did I really scream?"

"Yes, you did. I was coming to check up on you when it happened. Fearing that an assassin had somehow entered your room I took my sword and charged in. I can only imagine what must have gone through your mind at that point."

"I screamed." Caleb admitted. "That voice I heard. It was mine."

"Yes. Why, son? Why did you scream?" One look into his son's green eyes and realization hit Julian. "It was her again, wasn't it?"

"I keep seeing her in my dreams." Caleb began. "Her eyes…they are no longer human. She's terrifying but still the woman I love." He closed his eyes as if trying to shut her out of his mind. But she was there. No matter how hard he fought it, she was a part of him. A part he would never be able to get back. "I miss her, dad."

Julian sighed. He knew all too well the power a woman's love had over a man's heart. He also knew the terrible pain that came with betrayal. Julian knew that pain all too well. That was why when he spoke; it was the voice of experience. "Caleb, I know how you feel. Believe me. But you mustn't let her cloud your judgment. She is the enemy now. She will try to kill you just as she did before."

"But it's not her."

"It's not. It is who she has become. You think that when your mother betrayed me I didn't tell myself the same thing?" Julian's face turned away. "I kept telling myself that it was the Heart that changed her. Perhaps there was someway I could have reached her, but she was gone. The woman I loved was gone forever and I had to learn to live with it."

"How?" Caleb opened his eyes. He was clearly fighting back tears. "How do you do that? After everything you've been through?"

"By telling myself that I was the only one who could stop her and that if I didn't do anything she would bring misery and torment to countless innocent lives." He faced Caleb again. "And I knew that the real Nerissa, the good one, would want me to stop her from doing just that."

"So that's it? I'm just supposed to fight her?"

"You're going to have to."

"Well I don't." Caleb shoved his father aside. He grabbed his shirt and put it on. "I can't face her again."

"If we're to win this war you'll have to."

"But I can't."

"Caleb she'll kill you."

"But I can't kill her."

"She'd want you to."

"You don't know her."

"I know she wouldn't want to see you like this." He reached out to him. "As our leader, you must put your personal feelings aside for the greater good. Don't turn you backs on us, son."

"So I should just turn my back on her. Is that what you're saying?" He grimaced. "I'm not going to give up on her like you did with _your_ woman." He brushed aside the curtain and went out.

Julian sighed aloud. He knew this fight would be coming eventually he just wished it wasn't now. They were just reorganizing and for his son, the leader, to be in this state would be demoralizing for the troops. He had to snap him out of it. He was the only one who could.

He didn't need to go far to catch up with him. In cramped quarters such as this there was only one place one could go to get some "fresh air". The rebel headquarters was located deep underground within a complex system of tunnels and caves. Hundreds of interconnecting pathways would lead either all the way up to the surface or further beneath the earth. Either way it was a very fortifiable position and damn near impossible to lay siege. While not as easy to get around in as the Infinite City back on Meridian, it was secret, easy to defend, perfect for laying ambushes and setting up booby traps, and most importantly of all allowed the rebel forces to function undeterred by the armies of Nerissa.

A great chasm served as a supply station for the camp. Great ladders, trolleys and lifts carried supplies, soldiers and weapons from one level to the next. It was here that a fuming Caleb stormed in. He ignored the salute of the guards as well as the confused looks he received from others while he headed for the chasm. He stopped on the ramp which provided an incredible view of the seemingly endless gorge. The entire thing was illuminated by a marvelous green light that beamed up from the planet's core. The caverns were filled with rich mineral and rock deposits that would be able to finance the rebellion for a thousand years and beyond. Money would not be an issue at least for this resistance force.

Caleb sensed his father approaching. "I don't need a lecture."

"You're not getting one." Julian stood beside him and leaned on the rail. "Why don't you tell me about that dream of yours?"

"I don't think,"

"I used to have nightmares too." He looked at him. "About your mother. Sometimes my friends would come in fearing I was under attack. I never spoke to them about my dreams. If I had it may have been a less of a shock when Nerissa finally did betray me. I was a wreck and it took me a long time to recover. Then it was too late. I had lost both my wife and my self-respect. The war against Phobos was the only thing I had. Well, that and you. Then I became a prisoner and now I had nothing at all."

Caleb settled down after that. "I'm sorry."

"I'm here now and that's all that matters. So talk to me, please."

The rebel leader wasn't accustomed to sharing his feelings. He took after his old man that way. Scary how alike these two were. Guess stoicism was a prerequisite for rebel leaders nowadays.

"I was fighting her." He began. "We were on Earth, I think, though everything was destroyed so I couldn't really tell. I tried to defend myself but she was just too powerful. Yet, somehow she could not seem to kill me. We were at a stalemate." He paused as if considering whether or not to continue. "Then something happened. It was as if her true self regained control. She begged me to stop her, to…kill her." He winced at the word. "To prevent her from hurting anyone else. She was holding onto what was left of her humanity. Keeping the monster at bay while exposing herself to my blade. I approached; duty told me I had to do it for the good of the universe. But I…I just couldn't. I couldn't kill her."

Julian listened intently. "Go on."

"I had my sword poised for the kill but I stayed my hand. Then when it looked like I wouldn't do what needed to be done, she did it for me. She…threw herself forward. My sword…pierced her heart." His fists clenched at his sides. "I tried to pull it out but it was too late. She died in my arms." Again he fought back tears.

Julian placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, son. Dreams can seem so real at times. But it was just that. A dream."

"But it may come true, dad. I will have to face her again. And when the time comes I don't know if I can do it." He looked at Julian. "What will I do?"

"Your heart will know what to do when the time comes. Caleb," He turned him so that they stood face to face. "Do not lose faith. If we can somehow defeat Nerissa then we may be able to help her and the others." He did not like getting Caleb's hopes up. In truth, their chances of victory were next to nil. The chances of them defeating Nerissa was bad enough but the Guardians…they were another matter.

Still, Caleb needed to hear this. "Be strong, Caleb. We will find a way. I promise we will defeat Nerissa and save the girls. Somehow, someway. I _promise_ you."

"Thanks, dad." Caleb smiled at last.

Julian smiled back.

A soldier came running up to them. "Lord Caleb! Master Julian. Lords Drake and Aldarn request your presence in the war room."

"Be right there." Julian said and the soldier ran off. He turned to Caleb. "Let's go." With a pat on the back, Julian led his son toward the war room which was located high above in a hastily built high rise situated on the side of the cavern wall. It required a lift to reach it as it was heavily guarded for security and privacy. Once the two men reached the war room they found a host of senior lieutenants awaiting them. Among the heavy hitters was Aldarn and Drake, the later once being the captain of the guard of Castle Meridian.

"What's up?" Caleb asked using Earth slang.

"Take a look at this." Drake motioned for father and son to approach the table at the center of the room where a large map was displayed. It was a place all at present were very familiar with. It was Meridian. Their home.

"Our spies have come into possession of what they believe to be plans to build a super weapon the likes of which has never been seen." Drake explained and as he did so guided the observers by pointing out key positions on the map. "The plans were found here, in the ancient fortress of Kazan." All eyes lit up in recognition as Kazan had attained legendary status by supposedly being impenetrable.

"It would be interesting to know how they managed that." Julian said, suspicion rising with his voice.

"That information is best left to our spy network." Aldarn said. "Besides, the message we received was from Vathek. If he claims this is genuine then it really is."

"He's never led us wrong before." Caleb said. Julian kept quiet for the remainder of the meeting though he would make it a point to look in on the matter later. "Go on, Drake." Caleb told the former captain.

Returning to the map, Drake traced a trail further south, out of the mountains and to the coast. "The agents managed to elude their pursuers and eventually made their way to Limen." His finger rested on a port city. "Where they met our contacts."

"No greater den of sin and debauchery in all of Meridian." Aldarn added.

"It's always been a lawless port." Drake continued. "Which is why it's been left alone for so long. It's the perfect place to hide since everyone generally keeps to themselves."

"Unless you're carrying a purse." Aldarn said.

"Or you have a bounty on your head." Caleb alleged.

"Or both." Drake moved his finger to the perimeter outside the city. "Unfortunately, the fortress has sent an elite squad to capture them. All the roads leading into Limen have been blocked and the surrounding woods are a deathtrap."

"What about ships?" The rebel leader asked.

"Pirates aren't the safest way to travel." Drake admitted. "And it wouldn't surprise me if a bounty's been placed on our men's heads. The minute they expose themselves they'll be beaten and dragged away in chains back to Kazan. If they aren't killed in the process, that is. And as luck would have it, it's monsoon season. The waters are torrential this time of year and the nearest friendly port is ten days away. If the pirates don't get them, the ocean will."

"Wonderful." Caleb began to pace about the room. "So what are our options?"

"Teleportation is out of the question due to the magical barrier that surrounds the city. It's prevents such forms of transportation mainly so the local government can keep a tighter hold on the residents. Helps them control what comes in and out of Limen without their say so. However, its range is limited to inside the city so we can sneak a few men into the outskirts."

"But then there are the patrols." Aldarn said.

"They can be circumvented by accessing this old mining tunnel. It's been abandoned for years and leads directly into the city's sewer system. From there we can infiltrate Limen and find our men."

"With all those patrols I doubt visitors will be able to remain inconspicuous." Caleb stopped pacing to say that little remark. Getting inside the city would be easy, he knew, it's being inside that worried him. From his experience, a plan always seemed to unravel right in the middle of the operation. In a way that was good. It allowed you to skip all other details and get right to the end: run like hell! "We're going to need one hell of a disguise."

It seemed all the air was sucked out of the room at that very moment. The candles dimmed, the air grew cold and all eyes were focused behind Caleb. It didn't surprise the rebel leader. Little surprised him these days. He turned around, knowing full well the smug, arrogant individual who he had been forced to save and sadly join during these trying times. The man stood in the shadows; how he loved to make an entrance. Despite his rugged clothing he still carried himself with the stride and demeanor of royalty.

Their eyes met and the tension was so thick one could have hammered away at it with a sword…and he'd only end up bending it.

"Guess that's where you come in." The young leader growled.

"Ah, my dear boy, I knew you would need me sooner or later. I told you from the very start this would be the beginning of a beautiful friendship. With us working side by side, Nerissa's days are truly numbered." Phobos smiled. The gesture was so empty and cold that all at once every candle in the room went out as if the devil had just stepped in.

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**I've been playing the Elder Scrolls: Oblivion for like a hundred hours so it really got me in the adventuring mood. The main focus is on Caleb though we'll get to see a lot of Phobos, Julian, Matt, Nerissa and the guardians too. I like what I've done so far. Why don't you let me know what you think?**


	2. Chapter 2

TSSF (The story so far): Caleb has been having nightmares about fighting Cornelia now that she is under Nerissa's control. He fears that he may one day have to face her and doesn't know if he can do what needs to be done for the good of the universe. Meanwhile, the new resistance, located deep underground, is preparing for a long and arduous war against the sorceress and her army. The freedom fighters have received word that their spies have come into possession of plans to build a terrible new weapon but have been forced to take refuge in the port city of Limen, a den of cutthroats and thieves. With Nerissa's forces closing in, the resistance must somehow enter the foreboding city, meet their contacts and escape with the plans. It won't be easy seeing as how the overlords and denizens of Limen are just as wicked as the hordes surrounding it. They've developed a daring plan to do just that, but it will require the aid of one ex-tyrant…Prince Phobos.

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2-Home is Where the Heart is

Every moment he spent in a room with him was a test of self control. Caleb had to remind himself over and over again that this time Phobos was not the enemy; that this time, they were on the same side. What's worse, he was forced to admit that Phobos had saved his life back when Nerissa had taken over Earth. It was an uncharacteristic feat for the prince to be sure, and Caleb knew he had only done it to save his own skin now that he had sanctuary within the Resistance, but bound by honor as a warrior and as a knight of the crown, Caleb was sworn to protect him from those who would surly slit his throat had they been given the chance.

Ironically, the one man who wanted more than any to put the knife to this exposed flesh was none other than the rebel leader himself. He hated Phobos from as far back as he can remember. He recalled all the years he had spent training to one day depose the tyrant from the throne he had stolen from Meridian's rightful heir. Now here he was standing side by side with the man responsible for innumerous atrocities. Julian once told him that fate had a sick sense of irony. Should the two ever meet, Caleb would make it a point to show just how he felt about it-the point being the end of his sword.

Phobos stood smug as can be as he listened to the resistance fighters lay out their little rescue plan. So this how they carried out their day-to-day criteria against him when he had been prince. As pompous as he was even Phobos had to admit that he was impressed at how well coordinated and organized they were. During his reign, this small band of rebels had been a major thorn in his side. Phobos had a huge army at his disposal and yet even with all his soldiers and all his resources he never could swat the annoying little fly that was the rebellion. Now he understood why.

He chanced a look at Caleb. The youth was going out of his way to ignore him, he realized, but he didn't care. A smirk began to curve the lines of his face but stopped when he caught a dangerous glare just beyond Caleb. Julian, the former rebel leader, wasn't too crazy about Phobos either and unlike his son was making that abundantly clear.

Phobos regarded the seasoned war veteran. Julian had been captured during a battle and placed in the Underwater Mines to spend the rest of his days withering away performing back-breaking labor. A fitting end to a man who had been nothing but a pain in his back since the rebellion started. In all respects, Julian was a formidable opponent. His battle strategies were nothing short of brilliant. On more than one occasion he had led his men to victory over a superior force using the guerilla tactics he had perfected in his years of service in the royal army. Now that genius had been passed down to his son, a man more than fitting to take up the fight.

But then again, Julian did not have the Guardians of the Veil to help him.

Phobos tipped his head respectfully at Julian before returning his attention to the briefing. The finer points of the plan were being laid out and Phobos tried to take as much of it in as he could. He was a brilliant man, he'd be the first to attest to that, but military tactics were never his strongpoint. War was such dirty business. A prince would never sully his hands in battle so why should his brain be any different?

"Did you hear that, Phobos?"

"Of course." He replied rather unenthusiastically to Aldarn's inquiry. He'd been paying as much attention to the briefing as he was his personal contemplations. It was his royal upbringing that made that happen. A monarch must be able to multitask and react quickly to changing situations. Spending months in a holding cell did not dull his reflexes in the least.

"Then you know what you have to do?" Aldarn pressed.

"Once we get into the city I'm to use my magic to disguise ourselves while we look for the spies. I'm to provide any assistance that results in the accomplishment of this mission while keeping us incognito and in no way am I to go anywhere alone or do anything that may jeopardize our success. Happy?" he crossed his arms.

Several eyes narrowed at him. Nobody liked his attitude.

"So you know where you stand." Caleb stated finally turning to him.

"Yes."

"Good." While his voice was stoic, Phobos could feel a lot of anger behind it. He was almost frustrated. So he enslaved their people and subjected them to years of warfare and subterfuge. GET OVER IT! There's a real war to fight now.

Aldarn placed both hands on the table while looking at Caleb. "Alright. I'll send word to Vathek that we're on our way. Once I put a team together,"

"I'll lead the mission."

All eyes widened at their leader's proclamation.

Julian looked at Caleb rather warily. "Caleb, I don't…"

"It's been weeks since I've even left this base. If I don't go out and fight or at least do something that will further our victory in this war then I am going to go crazy."

Aldarn spoke up. "But it's too dangerous. Too many things can go wrong. We need you here leading the resistance."

"The resistance is not one man, Aldarn. If I should fall, you, Drake, my father or a host of other capable warriors will continue the fight. Besides, what kind of example would I be if I always stayed here where it is safe?"

"But things are different now. Nerissa is a far greater threat than Phobos ever was." Aldarn paused. "No offense." He said sarcastically to Phobos.

"None taken." The ex-prince stated.

Aldarn continued. "This is a covert op. We can't risk you, not when the resistance is still in its infancy."

"Home is where the heart is." Caleb said. Everyone stared at him blankly, even Phobos. "It's a saying they have on Earth. I haven't seen Meridian in a long time. Guess you can say I'm getting a little homesick. Thing is, I need to be reminded of what we're fighting for. Seeing Meridian once again, even a cesspool like Limen, will help me get back into the fight."

Aldarn glimpsed at Julian. Although no dialogue was exchanged, the Honored Julian knew what he had asked him. Did this have anything to do with what happened back in his quarters? Julian's eyes told him all he needed to know.

"I need to do this." Caleb went on. "Please understand. This is my mission."

"Wrong." Aldarn said. "It's ours." He smiled. "It'll be just like old times."

"_Except this time the guardians wont' be there to save you."_ Phobos grinned.

Smacking his hand on the table, Caleb's spirits went up with his voice. "Alright! Let's get going. We have a war to win and secret plans that may help us do just that." After a brief chorus of agreements, the room emptied as the lieutenants went about their tasks. Julian stopped Caleb with a hand on the shoulder. "Something on your mind, dad?"

"Caleb, I'm not going to try to convince you otherwise. You're the leader and it's your decisions that will take us all the way. But I want you to be sure that you're thinking clearly. Keep focused and don't let your dreams hinder your judgment."

"Relax, dad. I have everything under control. I won't freak like I did earlier."

"Something happened?" Phobos who had been close enough to overhear, asked. "Do tell."

"Shouldn't you be getting ready?" Caleb said.

Phobos smiled. "Yes, my captain."

As he left the room, Phobos couldn't help smiling all the more. Things may have gone downhill for him as of late, but once you've hit rock bottom there was nowhere else to go but up.

---

Caleb was alone in the armory room which was really a large cavern with only one exit. Two guards stood outside the entrance giving the leader ample time to get ready. This mission would not require heavy armor so he adorned himself with a lightweight vest over a thin sheet of chain mail. He wore thick hiking boots that were strong to deal with the harsh swamplands around Limen but light enough so that he would be able to move quickly should the situation called for a hasty retreat. He wore brown slacks over the boots; not exactly stylish but the resistance did not dress to kill. Well…they did but more in the literal sense rather than the fashion sense.

His black belt was fitted with a place for a knife, a few hidden daggers and a sword which he shrouded behind a long, green traveling cloak. Once he put on the hood he appeared to be a travel-worn bandit just making his way in the world. He took a look at himself in the makeshift mirror at the far end of the room. A trendy goatee and a deep sultry voice and he could very well pass off for one of those romantic heroes in those fantasy movies that were all the rage on Earth. He wondered what Cornelia would think of him now?

_Stop that! You don't have time for this. Just focus on the mission and nothing else!_

"Hey, Aragorn!" Caleb turned around to find a familiar face standing in the doorway. "Or should I say, Strider?" Matt smiled as he made his way across the room.

"Matt!" Caleb went over and clasped his friend's hand in his own. They two had grown close ever since their worlds had fallen to Nerissa. Since then, Matt had become an excellent fighter, almost as good as Caleb but just as determined to see Nerissa taken down. He had his hair cut short as if leaving his past behind and stepping into his new identity as a fighter for the resistance. He encouraged Caleb to do the same but the rebel had taken fondly to his grown-out brown hair. In fact, it was a bit longer than Matt previously remembered and had crept down to just below his collarbone.

"When did you get back?" Caleb asked.

"Just a few minutes ago. Raythor and I were scouting out things in Heatherfield and ran into one of the patrols. Nothing we couldn't handle. Had the would-be storm troopers running after a few blows to the head."

"Always living on the edge, aren't you?"

"You know it."

Caleb chuckled and then looked him over. Matt had definitely seen some action. His clothes, a long-sleeved shirt with slacks and boots, were tattered and torn. His hair was all ruffled and Caleb could see small bruises sprouting on his face. He saw trinkets of blood here and there but judging from the victorious way Matt carried himself he guessed it was from the afore mentioned storm troopers. Matt was tough but reckless. No doubt he'd probably gone charging in and Raythor had no choice but to join him. He could already hear the former captain's ramblings on the foolishness of this Earth boy. Caleb looked forward to that meeting.

Then his face became stern. "So how's Earth?"

"What can I say? Damn pro-Nerissa government has the population in a state of flux. Soldiers litter the streets and anyone who opposes is taken and never seen from again." Matt walked past Caleb to the mirror. "Funny, I've read about just such things in history class. Figured they were a thing of the past. Or at the very least they'd never happen in the States. But they have." He touched the reflection of his face. "The whole world's gone to hell and us along with it."

"Surely a resistance movement has started."

"Here and there. But Nerissa was originally from Earth. She knows just the sort of people to keep order in her stead while she's off conquering the universe. With a combination of magic and technology, the police state knows all and sees all. They're almost impossible to fight back."

"We'll fight them, Matt. Earth is just as much a part of this as Meridian and Candracar. We need to get strong enough to pool our resources together and create a galactic resistance. Then we'll give Nerissa a fight like she's never seen."

"I look forward to it." Matt reared around. "So, looks like you're going to give Nerissa some of that fight right now."

"We've been briefed about a secret weapon under works in Meridian. A couple of spies got their hands on the plans but now they're stuck, trapped while Nerissa's goons close in. I'm taking a small team inside to rescue those men and get the plans. If we're lucky, maybe we'll find a way to use that weapon on them first."

Matt grinned. "Sounds like fun. Mind if come with?"

Caleb held up his hand. "You need to rest. We're going to be moving a lot and, no offense, but subtlety isn't your forte."

"Ouch." Matt laughed. "But I guess you're right. I'm more of the shoot first; ask questions later kind of guy."

"Which I'm sure Raythor will attest to later on."

Matt laughed loudly causing one of the guards to peek his head inside for a moment before returning to his post. Once he got past his hysteria, he stretched out his tired muscles. "Though what I am looking forward too is a hot meal and a bath. Scrounging for old food in abandoned supermarkets is not my idea of good eating and man do these clothes wreak. You know Blunk actually thought I _stank_?"

"Speaking of which, where is the little passling?"

"Trying to sell off some trinkets he picked up in Heatherfield. I keep telling him those blinds aren't portable fans but he won't listen."

"He never does. Listen I,"

"Gotta go. I hear you." Matt clasped his hand again. "Just be careful, right man? You're the big cheese around here and I'd hate to take orders from Drake should anything happen to you. He's okay but man can he be hard-headed."

"I hear you." Caleb pulled his cloak around him. "Hey, what was that name you called me earlier?"

"You mean Aragorn?"

"No the other one."

"Strider?"

"Yeah. I like it, where's that from?"

"What? You never saw Lord of the Rings? Jesus, man, it's like the greatest movie ever made."

"Let me guess: sword and sorcery."

"You know it! Best thing there is."

"Why would I want to watch a movie about stuff I do in real life?"

Matt held up his hands in defeat. "Suit yourself. But it is great."

"Must be if they modeled it after us." Caleb said. "See you when I get back."

"I'll keep the home fires burning." Matt nodded.

Caleb left the armory and headed for the waiting room where his team was readying themselves for a very dangerous mission.

---

And so they were assembled: Caleb, Aldarn, Phobos, Julian, Blunk and two other operatives. They each adorned themselves in thick cloaks with long, flowing capes and should anyone ask they were traveling mercenaries looking for work. Sellswords were a dim a dozen these days.

"Ready?" Caleb asked his troupe. Each nodded in turn. They stood in the middle of a large stone room with sentries posted on either side. With a nod to Blunk, the passling pulled out the large tooth the Mage, a.k.a Nerissa, had given him to create a tear. With a slice of the air, a _tear_ in the fabric of space literally appeared before them. "Let's go." Caleb stepped through and in mere moments he was back home. It was a black day and the skies echoed with the sound of approaching thunder. Once the tear had subsided and the team was through, they surveyed their surroundings. The marshlands were wet and very humid and the sounds of the night echoed all around them.

To Blunk it was like being in paradise.

To Phobos it was being at the bottom of a trash heap.

To Caleb it was home. All of Meridian was home. _"Home is where the heart is."_

With a wave of his hand to ward off an insect that got too close, Caleb led the team toward Limen, a place far more detestable than this swamp.

---

A/N: A few things I should point out before I go on. The name is pronounced "Lee-men" and it's taken from one of my previous Witch stories that I unfortunately did not finish. It's an original name, no meaning behind it.

And I'm sure ALL of you are familiar with my pop culture reference to the Lord of the Rings character, Strider, a.k.a Aragon, heir to the throne of Gondor. If you haven't seen the Lord of the Rings trilogy…what in the name of Candracar is wrong with you? Go rent/buy it now! But seriously, what did you think of this chapter?


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thanks for the good reviews guys. I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long. Personally I believe this story is getting better the more I delve into the world. A lot of the inspiration I get for this fantasy/adventure story comes not only from Witch but from the Forgotten Realms storybooks as well as games like Oblivion. It's been a lot of fun to write. For those wondering when we'd get to see Nerissa and the guardians just hang on a bit. Caleb and the gang have an issue to deal with first. Surviving the most dangerous city in Meridian.

TSSF: Rebels spies have come into possession of plans to build a superweapon and have taken refuge in Limen, a city of thieves and cutthroats. Caleb has taken it upon himself to lead the rescue mission which will include his father, Julian, Aldarn, Phobos and Blunk. Before leaving, he gets a visit from Matt who has returned from Earth after a scouting expedition with Raythor. After small talk, they say their goodbyes as Caleb joins his team for the return trip to Meridian. They arrive in a swamp just outside the city limits.

---

3-City of Pirates

The mine was situated behind a wall of dense foliage and dilapidating stone structures. The walls had long since given way to the encroaching tide of nature and what were once mighty battlements lay crumbling under the stranglehold of vines and roots. The swamp was ruthless in its reclamation of the land. A once mighty guard tower was now sinking into the marsh. So withered were its foundations that it tilted to one side, reminding Caleb of a famous structure on Earth that Hay Lin once told him about. The Leaning Tower…of Pizza? He could never remember those strange Earth names.

The iron gates lost their struggle to the swamp ages ago and were nowhere to be seen. All that was left were the hinges and they weren't to last much longer. Inside the band got their first view of the ancient mine that was once a major resource hub. A small community had been built around the mine. Houses, smithies, a bazaar, a weapons shop, even a tavern. Caleb could almost hear the songs they must have sung when the town had been prosperous. Instead, his ears were overwhelmed by the gloomy sounds of the swamp.

Civilization has lost here, he realized. The swamp would not suffer intruders in its shadow for long. One look at the broken windows, the rising mud-water, the crumbling walls, missing rooftops and strewn tools told them of nature's wrath. There were some places men weren't meant to be. This was one of them.

Not surprisingly, Blunk seemed to be the only one enjoying the trip. The swamp reminded him of home and the place where he had grown up. He was almost giddy with excitement as he explored the ruined houses. True to his nature, the passling was trying to acquire trinkets to trade. Caleb would have none of it. Where Blunk saw an opportunity he only saw a graveyard. With a firm hand he urged the passling to move on and when Blunk protested he need only take one look at Caleb and that settled the issue right then and there.

Blunk was usually not afraid of Caleb. He considered the human to be his friend, but after everything that had happened there had been a change in him. Those green eyes were once sparkling and full of life. Now they promised only pain and death. Blunk would never understand the emotions that went through the man's heart. He could only hope that one day Caleb would become the wonderful young person he had once been.

For now, he could only walk beside him. He had no choice…Caleb would not let him go.

Julian noticed the harsh way his son treated the passling. He would have done something about it had he not been preoccupied with watching Phobos. He kept the former prince walking a few steps ahead of him with one hand always on the hilt of his sword. So far, Phobos showed no signs of treachery but he would not drop his guard. Every once in a while, Phobos would look over at him, smile, then turn back around. Julian knew he was doing this to irk him. To his credit, Phobos was doing a very good job.

They reached the slopes that descended towards the mine. Water had taken refuges at the bottom, drowning the mining carts and the old tracks they used to ferry the ores and minerals from the earth. Resourcefulness kicked in and the rebels used planks taken from the dilapidating houses to create a makeshift bridge toward the mine. The process took a while seeing as how most of the wood was too old to hold up their weight and there were also fair distances between places they could connect them too. Hardship, however, was one thing these warriors were accustomed too. Julian and Blunk watched Phobos while the rest of the group went about their work.

Phobos acted bored but remained quiet. Occasionally he would let out a sigh or slap his exposed skin when a bug crept past his defenses but other than that he proved no hindrance to the group. Had he his old powers, Phobos could easily have created a bridge of pure energy or simply flown across the muck. As of now, he was limited to illusion spells, telepathy, telekinesis, and mild energy manipulation.

How the mighty have fallen.

Phobos looked at Blunk who surprisingly smiled back at him.

How the mighty have TRULY fallen.

The rebels finished their bridge system and proceeded one at a time across the narrow planks. The mine opening stood before them like a gaping maw as if to swallow them up. Once everyone was safely across Caleb turned to the two accompanying rebel warriors, ordering them to remain here and cover their escape. They obeyed without question, trusting in their leader's judgment. That, and the fact that neither wanted to venture any deeper into the mine.

Wrapping clothes around dry wood, Caleb ignited it into a torch. Aldarn and Julian followed suit and with a nod to the warriors guarding the entrance they proceeded inside.

Minutes passed and the scenery did not change. It was just an endless tunnel that branched off at various intersections. Drake provided them with an old map of the mine which wasn't all that accurate. More than once they ran into a dead end or were forced to backtrack. It was dark in there, difficult to see even in the firelight of the torches. Blunk, more accustomed to dark places, didn't have much difficulty navigating the caves. Phobos created a ball of green light which flew before him, illuminating his path.

What their eyes couldn't tell them, their noses did. Blunk's especially. He eventually took the lead and they found the air getting much heavier, much more putrid. To Blunk, it was like stumbling into a field of flowers.

Everyone else just gagged…

…for they had reached the sewers.

The river of sludge was inhabited, it seemed. Various things, small and large, popped out of the surface to look at these "strange" creatures. The band kept a respectable distance from the edge and pressed on. Something crawled out of the sewage ahead of them. Caleb motioned for all to stop and held up his torch. It had to be the second largest slug he had ever seen-he'd been around-a greenish black with four waggling antennae. It ignored the rebels and proceeded toward the far wall to nibble on some grass that had somehow taken root there. Something large and black, almost too fast for their eyes to register, snagged the slug and brought it into the gap in the ceiling. The creature squealed. There was a loud rasp, a sickening slurp, and something splattered to the floor.

"Watch your head." Caleb told the group. "And keep clear of the walls."

They encountered other denizens of the sewer though luckily none proved dangerous, or at the very least, hungry enough to cause them any trouble.

Finally they had reached their objective. The sewers narrowed down into carefully crafted tunnels, the mark of civilized beings. They could make out the footsteps of people overhead and the roaring approach of wagons. They had to have been directly under the city.

Several manhole covers beamed down shards of light from above. Shadows momentarily blocked out the light and they moved on, preferring to ascend to a place not so heavily populated. It wasn't long before they found what deemed to be a suitable spot to make their exit. Caleb climbed the ladder and gently pushed up the top. His head popped up in an alley, dark save for the lamp hanging by a nearby shop. It looked like as good a place as any.

He hopped down to the others and after telling them of what he saw led the way up. All five assembled themselves in the alley. After going over their plans and what to do in case of emergencies, Caleb looked to Phobos who then worked his magic. Moments later, five shadows walked out of that alley: one passling and four companions that were anything but human.

---

The City of Pirates lived up to the name.

The docks were lined with corsairs, raiders, runners, skiffs, privateers…every vagabond ship imaginable could be found in the Limen docks. It had long been a safe port for those who lived outside the law, outside the rules of civilized beings. To the outside world it was a den of outlaws; to the citizens of Limen it symbolized freedom. No Queen, no Prince, no Oracle held claim over their lives. Here, you survived on the strength of you sword and the sharpness of you wits. Trust was the rarest commodity, impossible to buy, invaluable in its worth. To gain respect here one must be both cold and ruthless-trademarks of the sea.

Limen was a melting pot of cultures from all over the world. Humans were a minority here but even they came from a variety of stocks. None of them spoke with a Meridian accent and most of them couldn't speak proper Common to begin with. But they were no less dangerous than their non-human peers. One of these humans, a woman by the name of Roiya Hall, strolled through the marketplace taking in the exotic wares and scents of that most prosperous part of the city.

She was a common sight in Limen, all the proprietors knew her, by name or by reputation. She was a pirate, no surprise there, and her tenacity on the open seas was as legendary as the sword she carried. It was no ordinary blade. An ancient weapon found during one of her earlier ventures, its mystical properties gave her an edge over her enemies. Some may call that cheating, but to a pirate every edge was the difference between life and death. Her victims bore her no ill will. It was their way afterall.

Roiya also possessed a sharp eye; all the better to spot her enemies before they spotted her, she was known to quip. She knew just everyone in Limen either professionally or personally. She can also spot a newcomer a league away.

While admiring a silver ring she aquired on a previous "business transaction", those eyes zeroed in on a group of strangers. She caught them out of the corner of the stone embezzled on the ring. In the image she could make out four tall figures and a small one, a passling by the looks of it, doing their very best not to stand out.

Yeah, like being all huddled together with your face down just "screamed" inconspicuous.

Yet they moved with purpose, almost as if they knew where they were going or at least had a general idea. Roiya took note of the leader, the tall one on the far left. He set the pace for the rest of the group.

Something's going down, Roiya thought, and oh how she loved being in the middle of the action.

The pirate put the ring away and turned around to look at the strangers. They proceeded toward the main avenue where many of the local bars, taverns and inns set up shop. Roiya knew they were trying to meet someone. Perhaps an exchange of information or to make a trade. No. It was something else. These men were well-armed and everything about them said they knew how to fight.

One of them, she noticed, carried himself more formally than the others, almost like a nobleman rather than a seasoned fighter. They way he kept his hands situated to his sides suggested he needed no brute force to defend himself. A wizard maybe? A mage?

Interesting.

Why they had a passling with them she had yet to discern but his kind weren't much of a rarity around these parts. Passlings survived on the bowels of society. Some were honest, most were completely untrustworthy. This one wasn't much of a fighter and not all that brave judging from the nervous habit he had of looking around. His shoulders were slumped and he walked low suggesting one who lacked self confidence. For one to be in the company of such dangerous men…

Her curiosity peeked, Roiya grabbed her ale and drank up. She placed two coins on the counter and walked off, boots clicking on the stone floor.

She followed the men down the avenue keeping a fair distance so as not to alert them while navigating the mass of people between her and her quarry. Pickpockets littered the streets but they stayed clear of Roiya. She didn't take kindly to thieves, ironic considering she was made a living out of taking things that didn't belong to her. She knew many of them by name and they all knew her. Roiya walked without any fear down this most dangerous street.

They stopped in the main square as if to get their bearings. Then one of them motioned for the others to follow and they proceeded not to one of the lavishly decorated hostels or brothels but into a narrow alley. Roiya followed them in and stopped just around the corner to have a peek. They entered an out of the way pub, a hole in the wall if there ever was one, named the _Gizzard's Throat._

Very interesting.

Moira decided not to go in just yet. At least one of the group seemed to have noticed her and would undoubtingly tell his fellows. They would be expecting her. Roiya Hall. Well she'd just have to do something about that. They would expect Roiya Hall but Roiya Hall would not be the one walking into that pub.

---

_The Gizzard's Throat_ was packed that night but the rebels still found a table in the back. It had a large crack running down the middle and the seats wobbled but beggars weren't choosers. Caleb sat with his back to the wall. To his right sat Phobos and Aldarn while Blunk and Julian took his left. A serving wench came to their table momentarily. She was blue-skinned, darker than Aldarn and had fins on the side of her head. She held a pad and pen in webbed hands as she began to jot down their order. Julian ordered for the group as he was most accustomed to bar hopping-he'd been around too-and placed their orders with the girl who went to pick them up.

"What did you order me?" Phobos asked.

"It's called _Hell's_ _Fury_." Julian said with a smile. "You'll love it."

"Grows hair on your chest." Aldarn added.

"I am not a lycanthrope. After trudging through a hot swamp and suffocating mine, I,"

"Shh!" All said in unison.

Various patrons looked their way rather suspiciously.

"Keep your voice down!" Caleb ordered.

"But I'm thirsty."

"That'll be the least of your problems if you blow our cover. Now be quiet."

"Hmph." Phobos crossed his arms like an agitated child.

Aldarn looked around the pub. "This place stinks."

"Blunk don't think it so bad."

"I mean this whole city. Your weren't kidding Master Julian."

Julian nodded his hooded head. "It's been years since I've been to Limen. I swore I'd never come back."

All eyes turned to him. "Dad, you never told me you've been here before."

"It's a chapter of my life I've gone through great lengths to forget. I'll tell you about it someday. Under better circumstances that is." He stopped talking when the wench came over with a tray of mugs. She placed them down on the table and Julian removed ten coins from his pocket, more than the tray was worth, and handed them to the girl whose eyes beamed. With a smile and a curtsy, she left them to drink.

"This better be worth it." Phobos looked at his beverage. Gently putting his lips to the cup he allowed the liquid to touch his tongue. He gagged. "By Cavigor!" he managed to cough.

All began to chuckle.

"Cough…cough…you will…cough…rue this moment…cough…Julian."

"Anytime dear prince." Julian mockingly said. "But let's get back to the task at hand."

"Our contact said he'd meet us here." Aldarn scanned the room.

"How are we supposed to know him?" Caleb asked sparing a glance at Phobos who was still choking.

"No description. They're not to be trusted. Instead he's supposed to give us a code that begins, 'Queen Elyon lives in the palace'. To which we respond, 'Where the Queen of Queens sits on a throne of gold'. Then he says, 'Her eyes are all seeing, but fall blind in Limen'. And we say, 'where no darkness can be lifted'." Aldarn said it clearly so that all would know what to look for. "Then he will show us the mark of the spies: a closed eye over folded hands, after which he will recite the creed of the guild, 'In the name of Meridian, lift the darkness.' _That_ will be our contact."

"Such needless banter." Phobos commented.

"Subtlety." Julian said. "Something of which you know nothing about."

"Hmph." Phobos looked back to his drink. In truth it wasn't all that bad now that he knew what to expect. He drank again while Julian was looking. This time he did not cough, or tried not to. It was his defiance to Julian, that smug little rebel. "See?" He said putting the mug down. "I learn fast."

"Maybe we should work the crowd." Caleb said. "The contact will know what to look for and perhaps is too edgy to be seen talking to so many new strangers."

"Gotcha." Aldarn said. "I'll take this end. Master Julian?"

Julian nodded.

"Blunk go too."

"You stay here." Caleb grabbed him.

"Caleb." Julian said. "A passling won't attract too much attention here. If anything the people will drop their guard. Blunk may be able to extract some useful information."

"At the very least we'll be rid of his scent." Phobos said.

Caleb sighed. "Fine. I'll stay with Phobos."

Julian nodded. He was about to get up but stopped. "One more thing." All turned to him. "Be wary. Somebody was following us down the avenue. A woman I believe."

"Wishful thinking, dear Julian, you are far too old for that,"

"Shut it!" Julian snapped at Phobos. "I figure she's waiting for us outside the pub. Keep a lookout for anyone with loud-clicking boots and a slender build. She's armed as well. No ordinary woman that one. Stay on your guard. She may be working for the city council or the guard."

"Then we have nothing to worry about." Phobos joked but the others left the table before they could hear it.

Now Caleb was stuck with the one person in the universe he hated as much as his mother.

"So." Phobos began. "What's going on with you?" He spoke almost too friendly.

"Look just shut up and…" Someone walked through the door at that moment and cut him off. It was no woman but a man, a rather beautiful man. His features were soft but his body was well-built. He had pale skin and bright red hair. His eyes were a deep blue, almost pristine. He had the look of a seaman about him with a large brown hat with a red feather on top. When he removed his hat his red mane came flowing down over his blue coat. The sailor dusted off his black pants and went over to the counter where the barkeep, recognizing the man, went about getting him a drink before he asked for it.

"Not a woman but close." Phobos said.

"You should talk." Caleb commented.

The sailor sipped his drink and turned to face the room. His eyes went from place to place eventually settling on the two travelers. After a hefty gulp, he decided to head on over to their table and without so much as an invite sat himself down.

"You looked like you could use some help." The man spoke in a manner unbefitting the populace of Limen and yet there was a seasoned traveler's hint to it. "I may be able to provide it."

"What makes you think we need _your_ help?" Caleb asked wondering if this was indeed their contact. As he recalled, he was supposed to initiate the code.

"I can spot troubled souls." The man said. "Lose something did you? Fret not. If it's missing I can find it. For a price."

Caleb looked to where his father had ventured off to. He saw the sailor take a seat at their table and his eyes told Caleb to be careful. His hand crept to the his sword, ready to fight in case of trouble. Aldarn was alert as well. He kept one eye on them and another on the woman he struck up a conversation with. Blunk was too busy watching an exciting game of dice to notice anything.

"Well?" The sailor asked. "What'll it be, dear friend."

Caleb was silent. He knew something was up the minute he heard that click beneath the table. With a heavy sigh he removed his hood. If his stony brown skin and horned head weren't enough to scare the man away, perhaps those wicked red eyes of his would. "Now you listen," his voice turned guttural. "I don't know who you are or who you're working for but if you don't point that knife you're holding in another direction real fast I promise you won't live to see tomorrow."

---

Finished! I didn't mean for it to be this long. Hope the first part didn't bore you to death but I rewrote the dialogue so many times that I just thought "oh the hell with it", and made it descriptive instead. I feel I rushed through the last part just a bit but I just needed to finish up this chapter so I could begin the next one. And I bet you're asking, "What is Caleb? What did Phobos turn them into? Who's this Roiya and what is she up to?" We'll find out soon enough.


	4. Chapter 4

Author: So many positive reviews. A thanks to _Worker72_ for that interesting point on Earth, Islam and the Illuminati. Giving me ideas!!! And _Raquella_, the wait is over! Also I want to give my thanks to _Hayles1_, _strayphoenix_, _LilMizzStarx_ and newcomer _Nemrut_. Thanks a lot guys.

TSSF: Caleb's team has infiltrated Limen via the sewer system. Now they must don their disguise, thanks to Phobos, and meet with their contact who will lead them to the spies. Problem is, they haven't gone unnoticed. A female pirate, Roiya Hall, has taken an interest into what they're doing and followed them. Inside a bar, the rebels take a seat and discuss their meeting about the contact. After spitting up, a sailor enters the pub and spots Caleb sitting with Phobos. He approaches them, entices them that he can help them find what they want--for a price.

---

4-Observance

A gruenor.

A humanoid race whose skin was as hard as stone. They hailed from deep within the mountains where life was harsh and unforgiving. Known for their rock-like appearance, black-horned heads and blazing red eyes, they are among the best fighters in the world. Not only was their skin impeccably tough but their heightened endurance and quick reflexes made them excellent soldiers. They lived in scattered nomadic bands, rarely leaving their mountain homes other than to trade or wage war. Still, their reputation preceded them and a saying went that seeing a gruenor meant trouble was coming but encountering a host of them was a prelude to doom.

That's what the sailor found himself facing at that moment. Two very agitated gruenor who did not take kindly to his boldness. First he intruded into their personal space by sitting down at their table without their say so; then he tried to bribe them for information; now, as if that weren't stupid enough, he was holding a knife under the table. Threatening a gruenor was paramount to suicide. This man had threatened two.

Caleb, in the façade of a gruenor, glared menacingly at the sailor. The once-confident man seemed to lose a bit of his fluster now that he had come face to face with the face behind the hood. But he regained himself quickly. He nodded apologetically to Caleb and retracted his knife. Brining both hands above the table for them to see, the man showed he had no means of threatening them.

"Forgive my rudeness," he began. "But one must take precautions in this city." He gently placed his hands on the table. "One never knows when negotiations will go sour."

"I say this is one of them." Caleb said. "Leave now while you still can."

"Are you mad?" Phobos turned to Caleb all of a sudden. "He just threatened us. We should kill him for his insolence!"

With incredible speed, Caleb's hand came up and grabbed Phobos by the throat of his cloak and pulled him in close so that only he could hear. "We don't want to attract unwanted attention. If we can send this fool away without any ruckus then all the better. Besides if you were paying attention you'd realize that we're a little outnumbered here."

Phobos looked at him quizidly and Caleb went on. "I noticed it the first time he came in. Nobody in the room responded in any way to his arrival. That's because they all know him. He probably has associates at every table who will jump on us the minute we try to hurt him. Then there's the bartender. He didn't even have to order his drink before the guy gave it to him. I'll bet you anything that this sailor is either a regular at this pub or, which I actually believe, is a man of some standing in Limen. We mess with him, we'll have to deal with his subordinates. I'd rather play it safe and use force only as a last resort."

As he was speaking, Phobos was watching the faces of the crowd. Many of them were in fact looking at them right now. A gruenor usually instilled fear in those he met but these patrons looked anything but scared. Their faces twisted into scowls and many of them were slowly reaching for their own weapons. Caleb's observations had been on the mark. They were deep in enemy territory and if they were to stir up the hornet's nest then the spiders may very well become the flies.

Caleb let him go and returned his gaze to the sailor whose face showed he regained his confidence. Still, he believed he was facing two gruenor and that alone advised caution. During their infamous battle rages, gruenor were known to overpower as many as ten men in combat and with four of them running around the patrons of the _Gizzard's Throat_ would have a time indeed should they resort to violence.

If the man only knew, the two rebels thought. The illusion spell Phobos had cast over them ensured that they wouldn't be recognized. They were, afterall, fugitives and Nerissa would pay very well to have them apprehended and brought to her in chains. There were WANTED posters all around and the crooks of Limen would _jump_ at the chance to get that prize money. The only consolation was that Nerissa wanted them alive. Then again, that may be no consolation at all.

But something else nagged at Caleb and Phobos. While they appeared gruenor, they did not possess that race's strength or stamina nor; and this was the most important part, their stone skin. That man's knife could have easily killed the two of them had he gone through with his threat. The only things keeping him in check at the moment were black horns, red eyes, a guttural tongue and hide that in reality was significantly weaker than rock.

The sailor smiled as if to ease the tension or perhaps to tease them as if to show who held all the cards. "Please take no offense. As I said, that was a precaution. Strangers are not easily trusted in Limen."

"Nor the locals." Phobos said.

The sailor smiled. "True enough. But please, let me start over. My intrusion was rather blunt and I wish no disgruntlement between us. My name is Walloon and I am the captain of the privateer ship, _Zintaran_. Perhaps you've heard of her?"

Both gruenor shook their head.

"Then indeed you are definitely not from around here." He said seemingly a bit insulted that they did not know of the _Zintaran_ or her exploits. In truth they didn't care, they just wanted to be rid of this arrogant individual and left to their own devices.

Walloon took another swig of his mug, slamming it down on the table with a hefty sigh of relief. "Say what you will about Limen, it has the finest ale in all of Metamoor."

"Your business!" Phobos snapped and Caleb placed a heavy hand on his shoulder to calm him down. There's no telling when his short fuse will blow up in their face.

Walloon eyed Phobos suspiciously. "Where did you say you were from?"

"We didn't." Caleb answered for him. "Now leave. We have matters to attend and we don't wish to involve outsiders."

"You're meeting someone."

"It's a bar. People meet each other all the time."

"But rarely would four able-bodied warriors such as you be traveling in the company of a passling." As Walloon spoke he motioned to Blunk who had gotten into a very heated conversation with a player at a board game. Caleb saw Julian moving in to keep things from getting out of hand. "They have their uses. Most I know are either pickpockets or merchants. You have to admire them. They are survivors. Many despise them. I admire them. Throughout my ventures I have found that they can prove incredibly resourceful and cunning. Some are said to have special abilities."

Walloon took another swig, watching Caleb and Phobos as he did so. The one on the left, Phobos, was clearly agitated with him. But the other one kept his cool. Even when he ordered Walloon to leave he never displayed emotion, just command. This one was a leader, Walloon knew. But not just any leader. The way he could keep his fellow in check with but a look told him how much respect he had earned. He also noticed his eyes casually darting back and forth. It wasn't a nervous twitch but rather he had been signaling his fellow gruenor who were walking the room. With the simplest of gestures he had them in key positions to strike. Walloon sensed their approach. They were not too close but still nearby and he could feel their eyes on him. Caleb was more than a leader, he was a general; or rather someone who commanded a great deal of men.

So he could either be a general or…

"Some passlings," he went on. "Have the special ability to travel between worlds. Such a gift would prove invaluable for those wanting to make a quick escape." He calmly folded his hands before him--blue eyes shining with every word. "Or to sneak in unnoticed."

Out of the corner of his eye, Caleb saw Phobos' fingers cringe. That told Walloon all he needed to know. But Caleb had also been watching and studying. The way Walloon had directed the conversation from the beginning could mean only one thing. "Such a gift would be worth a queen's ransom." Now Caleb took the steering wheel.

"Any particular queen?" Back to Walloon.

"Never cared much for queens, but I heard an interesting tale once of a queen who was not of this world."

"You mean not of Metamoor?"

"Yes. We hear all sorts of strange tales in the mountains. Apparently this one had been raised off-world. She was a deposed princess who then became a queen. Who she is and where she lives now is anyone's guess."

"A princess who became a queen." Walloon acted as if in deep reminiscence. Then realization hit. "Ah, I do believe it was Queen Elyon."

"I believe so." Caleb agreed. "Though where she resides now I cannot say."

"Why that's simple…"

_Here it comes_.

"Queen Elyon lives in the palace."

"Where the Queen of Queens sits on a throne of gold."

Walloon became serious. "Her eyes are all seeing, but fall blind in Limen."

Caleb's tone grew somber. "Where no darkness can be lifted."

There was a moment of silence before Walloon lifted his left hand and pulled back his sleeve. On the back of his wrist he wore a symbol: a closed eye over folded hands. "In the name of Meridian," he said. "Lift the darkness."

Phobos' jaw dropped open. "Well I'll be,"

"An impatient fool." Caleb finished. Phobos glared at him but he paid him no heed. "I was hoping it was you."

"As was I." Said Walloon. "Sorry for the whole knife thing but I had to play the role. If I just sat down without the implied threat people may get suspicious. This is the City of Pirates afterall."

Caleb leaned forward. "So, Walloon, is that your real name?"

"But of course. Everyone knows me here. Or at least they think they do. Makes it easier to remain incognito." His eyes darted between the two men. "I take it you are not really gruenor, am I right?"

"Is it that obvious?"

"The smell."

Phobos smelled himself. Hints of their journey were on his clothes. "Point taken."

"It's the sewers." Walloon said and they both looked at him. "Gruenor are great fighters but horrible swimmers. They avoid water like the Eight Plagues. That alone told me you were not what you appear to be."

"There were other factors?" Caleb asked.

"Gruenor always sit with their hands above the table to show that they hide no weapons. It is a matter of honor to them. You always kept one hand beneath just in case you had to reach for your sword. Then there's your friend here." He looked at Phobos. "A gruenor's subordinates don't speak unless given permission by the leader. The leader is the voice of the tribe and as such any other warrior speaking out of line would be considered stepping on the leader's authority." He smiled at both of them. "You must really delve into your studies before you decide to impersonate another race."

"It wasn't my idea." Caleb said.

"Go on, blame me." Phobos crossed his arms.

"Gruenor don't do that either. Putting your arms like that is paramount to surrendering to the enemy."

"Oh quiet!"

Walloon laughed. "Well then, I take it you're members of the…shall we say, anti-Nerissa movement?"

"What a marvelous deduction. Tell me, what gesture gave that away?" Phobos complained.

"I'll take that as a yes. Figured you used that passling of yours to teleport as close to Limen as possible. Why else would he be with you?"

_This guy's good._ "Listen, our time is short and our mission critical. Can you take us to our men now?"

"Why certainly. But best we remain discreet about our actions." Walloon looked around. "Tell you what; you leave and head down the alley past the butcher shop and head towards the lighthouse. You can't miss it, it's the biggest building in Limen. Near the western end of the lighthouse stands an abandoned inn. Folks believe it to be haunted so they stay clear of it. But if people see you entering it they may get suspicious so continue walking as if you mean to pass by it, that street is always empty this time of night and there will be a tall hedge standing between you and the inn. There's a gap in the hedge wall big enough to squeeze through. Use that to get inside and go around the back. There you'll find the backdoor which is locked. Look for a dried fountain where the lady holds an urn. Inside the urn will be a key. Once you get in go up to the third floor and into the last room by the window on your right. I will meet you there in twenty minutes."

"Got all that?" Caleb asked Phobos. The prince just scoffed. "Very well, Captain. But just us two will go. Our comrades will remain here for when we return."

"Good enough." Walloon agreed. He finished what was left of his drink. "Well, best I be off. I'll head over to the bar for a while and leave a few minutes after you do." He stood up. "A pleasure talking to you boys." He said rather loudly before turning and walking off.

Phobos leaned in close to Caleb. "Why only us? Wouldn't it make more sense to have your father and the green one for added protection?"

"We'll need them for backup. No sense in all of use getting cornered if things go awry. Besides, I need you there with me. Your telepathic powers will allow you to speak with Aldarn and my father and let them know what's going on. If trouble starts you can alert them and they'll be on the way."

"My telepathic powers? And to think I thought you wanted me along for the company." He feigned sadness.

Speaking of which, Phobos used those powers to convey the entire conversation they had with Captain Walloon to Aldarn, Julian and Blunk. A short while later they both got up and vacated the table passing their cohorts without so much as a word. They passed Captain Walloon as well who had his back to them on a stool. They passed several patrons on the way out and once they were back in the alley proceeded past the butcher's shop and toward the lighthouse.

---

Julian watched his son and Phobos leave the room. He didn't like what Phobos had telepathically told him and his years of experience told him that there was more to the scenario than previously thought.

Captain Walloon, as he called himself, had ordered another drink. The red-haired seaman was already working on his third when Aldarn and Blunk appeared suddenly beside him. Julian was standing, or rather leaning next to a pole near where a small band began playing a rousing tune. It was one he was familiar with…too familiar with…but Julian blocked those memories out for now and continued eyeing Walloon from the cover of his hood. "He's up to something." He whispered to Aldarn.

"You don't trust him?"

"Can we afford to do so?"

"He did know the code."

"Codes are unreliable."

"Than how do we know who to trust?"

"Only those who've shed blood together are worthy of such."

"So I'm guessing that means you don't trust me?"

"You've shed blood with my son. That's good enough for me."

"I'm honored."

Julian spared him a look. The comment was genuine and he was thankful for it. Caleb was lucky to have such a good friend and warrior by his side. He just wished it was Aldarn and not Phobos who had gone with Caleb. Sure the prince was wanted by Nerissa as well but that still didn't mean he was trustworthy. For now he'll just have to believe in his son's instincts. Any minute now Walloon would get up from his stool and follow them. For the remainder of that time, Julian did not take his eyes off Walloon.

Blunk fidgeted next to the two men. The passling did not understand all this espionage stuff. The world of warriors was so much more complicated than he realized. To think he once thought Earth to be confusing. What an epiphany to find out he knew so little of his own world. "You think they okay?" he dared to ask.

Aldarn replied calmly. "They'll be fine. Phobos is too cowardly to do anything stupid and Caleb's too smart to fall into a trap."

"Blunk saw him fall into trap before."

"He's gotten smarter, Blunk." Julian said. "Fate saw to that."

Time passed and eventually Walloon got up and made way for the door. He brushed past an elderly looking woman with a sagging chin and yellowish skin. Her head appeared more tortoise than human, all pruny and hairless. "Pardon." Said the gentlemanly captain before making his exit. He put on his brown hat with the red feather and was out the door.

"There." Julian said.

Aldarn didn't understand. "You mean to follow him? But Caleb said,"

"Not him. Her." Without another word Julian stalked over to the turtle-like woman and stood behind her. "Excuse me, ma'am. May I have a word with you?"

The old woman turned to face him, her eyes were whitening, the best years of her life long gone. She smiled weakly. "I'm afraid you're talking to the wrong kind of girl for _that_ sort of talk, young man."

"It's important. Will you come with me outside?"

"I'd rather you leave this poor old woman alone with her drink and what coin she has left." Something sharp came up to the side of her back and Julian leaned to whisper in her ear. "I insist." There was menace in that voice.

The woman gave in. "As you wish."

Aldarn, who was confused, looked to Blunk who only shrugged as if saying, "if you don't know what's going on, how the hell should I?" They went after Julian who escorted the woman rather roughly outside the _Gizzard's Throat_ and around the corner. He pinned her against a wall with his dagger poised at her abdomen. Aldarn saw this and came running up. "What are you doing?"

"Don't be fooled." Julian looked at him. "What do you see?"

"I see a crazed man about to kill and old woman."

"You're half right." With the woman still pinned to the wall, Julian pulled back her coat to reveal a thin sword hidden beneath the covers. The hilt of the blade was made of silver with the emblem of a great serpent coiling around the handle. Julian then brought up her hand which was adorned with a beautiful silver ring with a red stone in the middle. "I knew it was you." With a grim face, Julian calmly removed the ring…and the woman changed.

Blunk and Aldarn were taken aback. Suddenly the ugly old woman became a beautiful young woman. She had long, white hair, the color of snow and her eyes a rich blue the color of the deepest sea. She had a complexion of someone who had been out on the ocean with prolonged exposure to the sun and her face was slim with a little pug nose and thin lips. Her clothes changed too. Instead of rags they became a blue and white sailor's outfit complete with a white cape. Her boots, which extended all the way up to her thighs, were red.

With the transformation complete, the three rebels were looking at what appeared to be a female pirate. Julian was the only one not gawking as he knew this woman and his face showed he wasn't too happy to see her.

The woman smiled at him; a teasing little smile that usually meant bad news for any who saw it. "It's been a long time, Julian." She said.

Julian's face did not soften in the least. "Not long enough, Roiya."

---

Cliffhanger!!!

Next chapter we see some action as everything goes straight to hell!


	5. Chapter 5

TSSF: The sailor introduces himself as Captain Walloon and he happens to be the rebel contact in Limen. He advises Caleb and Phobos, disguised as gruenor warriors, to meet him in an old abandoned inn where he will take them to their missing spies. They leave the others behind with Phobos maintaining a telepathic link in case something goes awry. Not long after Walloon leaves, Julian spots a familiar face in the guise of an old woman. He forcefully takes her outside behind the alley and removes a magic ring that causes her to revert to her true self…that of the pirate Roiya Hall.

---

5-Roiya Hall

She's beautiful, Aldarn thought. Her sun-kissed complexion only added to her striking features. Her snow white hair made a marvelous contrast to her tanned skin and those eyes…never had Aldarn seen anything so blue. The sea swam in those pearly orbs and a man could literally drown should she stare at them for too long. Aldarn was drowning in them right and it was Blunk who gave him a lifeline by tugging on his cloak effectively bringing him out of his self-imposed fixation.

He suddenly realized where he was; in the alley behind the hole in the wall known as the _Gizzard's Throat_. His companion, Master Julian, had taken what seemed to be an old lady hostage who was now revealed to be a young woman in pirate's garb. Julian still held the ring that allowed her to impersonate the old hag in the first place. A magic ring, he realized. This one appeared to allow the user to assume the image of whomever she desired. It was very much like the magic Phobos used to change Aldarn and the rest of his party into gruenor, a race of renowned warriors. But somehow this woman had seen through their illusion. Could that mean others did as well?

Aldarn checked their surroundings to make sure no one was watching. The alley was empty save for the four of them and no prying eyes leered out of the few windows that Aldarn could make out. Still, he never felt quite safe since the moment they arrived. Aldarn felt like something was watching their every move. He half expected hidden attackers to lunge out of the shadows at any moment. His sixth sense was on full alert and his eyes darted back and forth between the dark corners of the alley. He was on edge; the slightest hint of danger would send him into a flurry of sword strokes.

Master Julian on the other hand was completely composed. His full attention was focused on the female pirate who met his stern gaze with a smug little expression. A gloved hand sensually caressed her thigh, dangerously close to the hilt of her silver sword. Aldarn almost attacked but a raised hand from Julian stopped him then and there. "Your friend is jumpy." Roiya said not taking her eyes off Julian. "That kind of ineptness could get you killed."

"Ineptness?" Aldarn said, insulted.

"Why are you following us?" Julian asked.

"I wanted to say hi."

"Don't lie to me, Roiya." A steelness entered Julian's voice. "Who are you working for?"

"I'm self-employed."

"You expect me to believe that?"

"Things have changed since you left. I'm no longer in the service of Baron Kruk, the Shadow Knives or even the Guild." A sultry smile creased her lips.

"So that makes you less treacherous, or more?"

"That makes me," She said reaching out to him. "My own boss."

His hand reached up and grabbed hers. "Have you forgotten," His fingers tightened. "That promise I made to you?" Julian was a strong man despite his age and his grip would have had hardened warriors flinching in pain, but Roiya bore through it, even going so far as to let out a pleasurable yelp. Most men would find it impossible to deny the feminine wiles of Roiya Hall. Julian was one of those rare exceptions. But Roiya enjoyed a challenge. She didn't forget the promise he made her those years ago but would not give into fear. For one in her profession, facing one's fears was a way of life.

Once he released her hand, the pirate feigned sadness. "Dear, Julian. I would think after all we've been through we can forget past discretions."

"I can never forget what you did." A venomous hiss escaped his mouth. "Now be gone! Before I forget you once saved my life."

"Always the honor code with you Meridian Knights, isn't it?" Hall chuckled in the face of his threat. Honor demanded that Knights repay their debts and Julian held to that creed like a child would its mother's breast. He was a man of integrity, one of the things that Roiya found so intriguing in him. It's a shame their lives had so diverged from the path they once shared. She recalled those days fondly and was sure that deep down Julian he did as well. If she could turn back time…

Roiya turned her attention to Aldarn for the first time. "I see the rebellion is desperate." She crossed her arms. "While skilled with the blade, this boy is as green as ever. He wouldn't have lasted two days at Brinin's Keep." She turned to Julian. "Do you remember Brinin's Keep? There was plenty of glory to go around that day wasn't there, Julian?"

"Too bad it's the only thing you ever cared about." He garbled.

Roiya's sharp ears caught on to that last part but chose to ignore it. She expected this kind of behavior from him. While he may have been an honorable man, Julian was one to hold a grudge. The years had not dulled his contempt for her in the least, it seemed.

_Pity._

"Let's go." Julian brushed by her without even so much as a second glance.

"The ring, Julian."

He stopped.

"The Queen's Knights aren't thieves, are they?"

"It was never yours to begin with." Julian still held the ring in his hand. Just holding it brought back a wave of memories; of battles past and friends lost. It was a testament to his greatest triumph…and failure. The glory Roiya mentioned was there but so was the shame. How could he have been so foolish? How could she have done what she did? For a brief moment he despised being a Meridian Knight. All the honor in the world be damned if he could make this arrogant bitch pay for what she did.

_No. I will not sink down to her level. My honor is all I have of those days. May my brothers and sisters forgive me._

"I want my ring." Roiya said.

"You're free to take it." Julian began. "If you can."

Never had Aldarn heard Master Julian proclaim such an open challenge before. He was practically daring Roiya to start a fight, one in which he would be well within his rights to kill her. What could this woman have done to justify such hatred? Aldarn had known Julian to be a man of principles who'd never let his emotions get the better of him. But right now he was spoiling for a fight; acting like a warrior many years his junior.

It was wrong. No matter what she did to him this was not the time to let his pettiness get the better of him. They had a mission to complete. What would Caleb say?

He was about to object when Roiya spoke up. "I'll trade you for it."

"What could you possibly have to trade that I may want?" Julian asked without looking back.

The pirate came closer, her high-heel boots clicking loudly in the deserted alley. "Information."

"I warn you, Roiya,"

"Your friends are walking into a trap."

---

The lighthouse loomed before them like some dark monolith. Caleb and Phobos stopped just to take it in. Few structures in Meridian, in all of Metamoor for that matter, could match its sheer size. It was carved out of granite, the ancient foundations of this land before Limen was ever founded. The architects designed it to resemble a giant torch, a beacon for wayward ships searching for a safe port. Its great fire burned defiantly against the night sky, tongues flicking in the black clouds which seemed to avoid the lighthouse altogether in fear of its sting. In all honesty it was the brightest spot in all of Limen both figuratively and literally.

There were very few buildings left standing in the square surrounding the lighthouse. Those that were not simply torn down were decaying relics of a time when Limen was actually prosperous and the citizens had a future. Now they leered at the travelers, broken shutters bent like crooked eyes, unblinking and ever watchful. They were reminiscent of angry faces glaring at the lighthouse for being the pretender; that is, offering a seed of hope in a city that had no place for it. If they had hands, they would tear it down. The bare-boned trees looked to do just that, their black limbs reaching for the towering structure like vengeful talons.

A mist had rolled in from the docks bringing with it the smells of the untamed ocean air. Limen disappeared under the mist and quite frankly no one in the outside world would have cared if it vanished altogether.

"There it is." Caleb said aloud. Phobos was standing beside him and both had pulled their hoods tight over their heads. Together they stood on the west side of the lighthouse and across from the great monolith sat a graying building whose doors had long since closed and whose windows were boarded up. The main gate was chained three times over though the mere reputation of the place was enough to keep any would be looters away.

"It would seem recommendations are out of the question." Phobos said. "Though I must say I rather like the location. Meridian can feel so constrictive at times."

"Try being a slave and then talk to me about constrictions."

"At least unemployment was low."

"Phobos." Caleb looked at him. "Shut up."

The prince rolled his eyes. Honestly, nothing he did was good enough for his subjects.

Caleb led them to the hedge along the inn's perimeter. It was a good four meters high and far too hazardous to climb over. Luckily, they didn't have to go too far to find the gap Walloon had told them about.

"Alert!" Phobos snapped. He spotted two figures walking out of the shadows. The mist had camouflaged them long enough that they were almost in direct sight of the duo before Phobos' warning. But Phobos was fast and worked his magic before their eyes could adjust to the darkness. While he and Caleb stood side by side watching the men approach, the men, soldiers apparently, saw something different. Two giant rodents scouring for food. Not an uncommon sight and they went back to their rounds.

"What did they see?" Caleb asked.

"Rats. Big ones."

"Clever." Caleb returned to the hedge and fumbled with the gap. "He expects us to squeeze in through this?" Even Hay Lin would have trouble making the attempt. He did his best to brush the fauna aside and received a series of scraps and bruises for his trouble. A moment later, the gap separated, big enough for a man twice his size.

"Clever _and_ useful." Phobos said behind him for it was he who separated the hedge.

_Indeed_. Caleb went in followed momentarily by Phobos who then sealed the opening.

Around the back they found what used to be an outdoor dining area around a broken old fountain. The shrubbery had not grown as considerably as the rest of the hedge and they could still make out the view of the coastline from their vantage point. The docks were lit up, the only part of the city that never slept, with music drifting in from the nearby taverns. They traveled quite a distance to reach this place and suddenly realized how big the city was. But Caleb wasted no time for taking in the sights as he had already climbed up the fountain and reached inside the urn the statue was holding. Sure enough, he found a key.

Once they had found the back entrance to the inn, which took some time considering the whole thing was encased in vines, Caleb opened the door and they were in. As hard as it was for him to admit, the view was better outside.

It looked as if Gargoyle had swallowed all the furniture, chewed it, spat it all out, then slept in his own filth for a few days before leaving. That's how bad it looked and smelled, and this was only the first floor.

"I think I'd have preferred the sewer." Phobos gagged covering his face and Caleb had to agree.

"Let's just find the room and get this over with."

Caleb found the stairs and just climbing it took effort. There were just so many holes and you can forget about the banisters. It's like half the inn had checked out of this place leaving behind only the skeletal remains. His nimble body proved up to the task and he worked his way up little by little. Phobos just flew up, waving to Caleb on the way. Caleb scowled but pressed on, finally reaching the top where Phobos awaited him. They exchanged brief glances before making their way down the hallway.

Eyes open, Caleb searched for signs of trouble. He was actually relived to have Phobos around just then as he created a ball of light similar to the one he used back in the mines. There wasn't much to see but plenty to hear. _Things_ had made this place their and didn't take kindly to uninvited guests. It reminded Caleb of that haunted house Hay Lin took him to during a weird Earth festival that involved costumes and eating candy. The spook factor was definitely high and unlike the afore mentioned house he was _not_ having fun.

"Last door on the right by the window. This is it." Caleb stood before the door. He turned to Phobos. "Anything to worry about inside?"

"Not unless you're squeamish. There's a small kingdom in there if you get my meaning."

Resigning to working his feet for a while, Caleb grabbed the knob and turned…and darkness overtook him.

---

Julian moved so fast that Aldarn didn't have enough time to blink. He was on Roiya in a flash, one hand forcefully grabbing her collar, the other drawing a dagger which he held dangerously close to her exposed neck. With strength that would have given a real gruenor reason to pause, he hoisted Roiya off her feet and against the wall. "What do you know?!" He half screamed.

"Master Julian!" Aldarn protested.

"Stay back!" He warned and Aldarn ceased his approach.

"Blunk no like this." The passling said, cringing behind Aldarn.

Julian's eyes burned with an inner fire that Roiya recognized immediately. She had seen that look a hundred times in the heat of battle. The fearsome warrior who fought the army at Brinin's Keep stood before her once again.

"Speak!"

"You've been set up." She regarded his two companions. "All of you. You don't think anyone can just sneak into Limen without somebody knowing about it?"

"And just how do you know all this?" Aldarn asked her.

Julian's knife kissed her throat. "Answer him."

"I have my sources." She said returning Julian's iron glare. If she was the least bit intimidated by his dagger she did not show it. "Safe to say that I survive by knowing what's going on around me. Just like being out in the open sea a pirate must always be prepared for the storm on the horizon and you boys have just left the Eye."

"Speak the truth, Roiya."

"I am speaking the truth." Her voice hardened. "There are no secrets in Limen. Especially from the ones who run it. They know of your rebel spies and what they have stolen from the fortress at Kazan. Nerissa's noose is tightening throughout the region and they fear for Limen's independence. They do not want to incur the wrath of the sorceress by openly defying her but by bringing in the culprits and their supporters,"

"They get in good with Nerissa," Aldarn finished. "And gain a powerful ally."

"Not so green afterall." Roiya admitted. "The Lords of Limen are looking for you. Their agents are everywhere. You've been followed from the moment you stepped out onto the street."

"Agents?" Julian repeated. "Is Walloon one of them?"

"No. He works for the Guild."

"The Guild?" Julian gasped.

"What is it?" Aldarn asked.

"A council of the city's most powerful pirates." Roiya revealed. "They've been vying for control with the Lords for years now."

"But they're nowhere near as influent in Limen as the Lords are."

Roiya smirked. "As I've said before, things have changed since you left. The balance of power has shifted. A secret war is being waged and whoever can gain Nerissa's allegiance will be able to tip the scale in their favor."

"And I suppose you want to gain her favor as well?" Aldarn grit his teeth.

"I seek no one's favor, young one. I told you I work for myself and owe no allegiance to either faction. Who wants to get caught up in their petty squabbles in the first place?"

"Why are you telling us this?" Julian asked her.

"Because I don't like those pompous snobs at the Guild or the Lords. They're manipulators, having others do the dirty work for them while they benefit all the profits. Their feud is tearing this city apart and could very well destroy it if left unchecked."

"And that's a bad thing?" Aldarn asked.

"It's home." She said. Her perfect eyes fell on Julian. "And I rather like it here. Those bastards are going to end up killing everyone and they must be stopped. I won't rest until I see all of them dragged naked through the streets and impaled in the main square."

"How noble." Caleb's father scoffed. "But what do you plan to gain by telling us? Do you hope to turn us all into Nerissa and get the reward money? Don't think me a fool, Roiya. You would sell out your closest friends if it meant getting ahead in the world. Always looking out for number one and damn those you leave behind." He pressed his face against hers. "Do you remember their faces? The ones you betrayed? Do they haunt you at night while you sleep with your gold? Have you forgotten their names? Their voices? Tell me, Roiya, what is the price of your ambition?"

She vanished from sight leaving a plume of smoke behind her. A long, silver sword fell in line behind Julian's neck and Roiya Hall, reappeared, had now turned the tables. Aldarn and Blunk cried out in surprise but there was nothing they could do. She had him.

"I have not forgotten." Her voice was deadly serious, even angry. Her beautiful face curled in silent rage and her teeth glistened. "You presume much to think you understand me, Julian. I may not be the woman you thought I was but don't you EVER think to understand me. I do what I need to survive. Your concepts of honor and duty mean nothing in the face of preserving one's life. Ideals won't shield you from a sword or keep you from drowning. Staying one step ahead of your enemies is the way to survive in this world. I'll be damned if I let you lecture me of past deeds. My decisions were based on staying alive, nothing more. I may not be proud of all I've done but at least I'm here. Here, damn you! And in case you haven't noticed, my dear Julian…so are you." She whispered those last words in his ear.

Julian turned his head to one side. "But with a clear conscience."

"Oh please. You're feeling so guilty for being alive that you place your blame on me. As if I'm the reason things turned out the way they did."

"You betrayed us."

"No!" She snapped. "You betrayed ME!"

They stood that way for a few seconds, time seemingly standing still. Roiya held Julian's life in her hands while his companions could only watch. She was angry enough to kill him right there, much in the same way Julian was a moment ago. But her anger diminished all of a sudden and she sheathed her sword. The pirate stepped back far enough away from him to look him over. Julian turned to her, his gruenor eyes belying the pain in his heart. "Things…were so much simpler back then weren't they?" she began. "There are so many things I wish I could have done differently."

"Wishing is not enough."

"But understanding is."

"Right now all I care about is saving my men." Julian pulled back his hood. "Now tell me."

Hall sighed, feeling that no matter how hard she tried she could never make him understand. His heart was as hard as the stone skin the illusion magic projected. "Very well. The Guild plans to capture the lot of you and bring you to Nerissa along with the plans your men have stolen. The inn is an outpost for their operations. If that's where the meeting is taking place then you can bet Walloon has soldiers lying in wait."

"Then to the inn we go."

"Hold on." Roiya said before Julian could go storming off. "It's not wise to go charging in there. Besides you have nothing to worry about. They want to capture you, not kill you. They'll hold them until they can send word to Nerissa and make the exchange. Gods know what those crooks have in mind to trade." She noticed the critical stares they shot her way. "I'm a legitimate businesswoman, not a crook."

"HOW do we save them?" Julian stressed the first word.

"They probably have sent men looking for you. No doubt Walloon alerted his associates to your whereabouts the moment he left the tavern. We shouldn't stay here. Come, I will take you to a safe place. We'll hammer out a rescue plan from there."

"You're still not getting back the ring."

Roiya chuckled. "No matter. I'll just steal it from you later." She stepped up to him. "Shall we?"

Julian momentarily thought of the ways he could kill her using just his hands. Fear for his son's safety kept him from carrying out those morbid prospects. He stepped aside and allowed Roiya to lead the way to this "safe place" though in this city he doubted the existence of such. He followed her, Aldarn and Blunk falling in line, when she stopped just before rounding the nearest corner. "Oh dear."

"What?" Julian asked.

"It seems we cannot get out this way." One of her hands fell to her sword and she began to backstep into the alley. Two swords unsheathed in unison as Aldarn and Julian prepared for battle. Blunk hastily got out of their way and cowered by the wall. Something caught the passling's eye and he looked up. Several dark figures lined the roofs of the buildings around them, all of them armed.

Roiya joined Julian and Aldarn in a defensive triangle as they readied themselves for the imminent attack. "Dammit, Roiya. What have you gotten me into now?"

The pirate smiled. "Just like old times, eh?"

"Don't remind me." He said just as the first shadow leaped from above.

---

Caleb's eyes slowly began to focus on the figure before him. The image was groggy at first but eventually he could make out the bright sailor's clothing and the man who wore it.

Captain Walloon smiled at him. "Welcome back to the world of the living." He motioned around him and Caleb could tell they were in some kind of chamber whose walls were too far beyond his sight. It was dark save for a few torches and they weren't alone. There were men in the room, a few women too. He could hear them snickering as well as the unsheathing of many blades.

_That damned Phobos! Where is he?_

Walloon's smile grew as he caught onto his plight. "I'm afraid your friend did not survive." The pirate pulled something out of the dark and threw it at Caleb's knees. His eyes widened when he realized what it was. It was a hand…a _human_ hand.

---

Phobos…dead?.

Looks like Caleb and Julian are in too deep. How the hell are they going to get out of this one? Find out in the next chapter!

Question: What do you guys of Roiya? I'm always worried about adding original characters to a story. Let me know, okay?


	6. Chapter 6

TSSF: Roiya Hall, a pirate with connections to Julian, warns that his son and Phobos are walking into a trap. Walloon is actually a member of the Guild, a powerful league of pirates. They plan to turn over the rebels and the plans in exchange for Nerissa's aid in defeating their longtime enemies, the Lords of Limen. With no other choice, Julian, Aldarn and Blunk are forced to trust in Roiya; but then they are attacked by unknown assailants. Meanwhile, Caleb and Phobos have reached the inn. Just as Caleb enters the room where Walloon said he would meet them he is overcome by darkness. He regains consciousness to find himself surrounded by Walloon and a group of thugs…with a human hand on the floor.

Thanks to Worker72 for your thoughts on Roiya. :)

---

6-Cornered

Two men wearing green garbs were on Caleb and they bound his hands behind him. He struggled at first but common sense told him that he wouldn't fare well in a close-quarter combat situation with so many well-armed fighters – particularly since all his weapons had been confiscated before he woke up. So he merely bared his teeth as they hoisted him up, holding him in place as Captain Walloon came walking up to him while brandishing his very own sword. He removed it from its sheath. It was a fine weapon, forged by one of the best blacksmiths in Meridian. How many enemies had met their end at the point of this marvelous blade he'd lost count. But Caleb suddenly found himself in the precarious position of being on the "business" end of that same blade and he began to feel a spark of remorse for all its victims.

"A fine sword." Walloon said admiring its craftwork; the sheen that reflected the torchlights nearly blinded him. He brushed back a tear and looked at Caleb square in the face. "Meridian-made, am I right? Very difficult to come by." He raised the sword to Caleb's abdomen, ever so gently tapping his prisoner in an effort to make him flinch. Caleb did not comply, so Walloon raised it even further around his heart and when that didn't work he brought it up to his neck.

With the tip teasingly touching his skin, Caleb did his best not to appear frightened. It was a trait he had learned with years in the rebellion. Staring Death in the face without flinching came naturally to warriors like him, but he didn't want to die like this. He often dreamed of dying in battle against Cedric or even Prince Phobos himself, but alas now that too was an impossibility. He managed to steal a quick glance at the severed hand on the floor next to him. Honestly, he found he didn't even care that his one-time companion was dead. But there was one problem: he was alone. Phobos could have easily called for Julian and the others for help. But the cavalry wasn't coming. Caleb was at their mercy.

"If it's any indication, he did not suffer."

Caleb returned to Walloon. _Didn't suffer? I hope he damn well did!_

"The trap is set to destroy magical beings on the spot. Once the door sensed your friend approaching it immediately activated, destroying him utterly I'm afraid. You had the misfortune of being right in the middle of the attack. Lucky for you, you're no mage." With incredible skill and finesse, Walloon removed the cowl from Caleb's head in the blink of an eye. "Or a gruenor for that matter."

Indeed, the illusion spell was gone. Most likely destroyed during the magical explosion that had taken the life of Phobos. Now they could see him for who he really was. Caleb knew his human exterior wouldn't be nearly as intimidating, but his glare promised nothing less than death to those around him.

Walloon's piercing blue eyes looked him over. "A fine young man. You should be courting young noblewomen, not sullying your hands with rebel work."

"Who are you really?" Caleb finally asked.

"I am as I said I was. Captain Walloon of the privateer ship, _Zintaran_." A quick study of Caleb's face and he knew, "Ah, I see. You want to know who I work for. Well I'm afraid that little tidbit of information must escape your inquires at the moment as I am not at liberty to say. My employers like to keep a low profile. You understand."

"The code!" Caleb spat. "How did you know the code?"

A devilish smile crept along the pirate's handsome face. It reminded Caleb of the time back at the _Gizzard's Throat_ where he knew he was in command. The feeling of holding one's life in his hands pleased Walloon to great effect. One could wonder how many poor souls have lost their lives to this man. He may have the face of an angel but deep within his breast burned something straight out of Hell.

Caleb studied that expression of his. Walloon knew too much about them. He probably even expected Caleb would separate their group when he instructed them toward the inn. No doubt he had a little surprise awaiting the team once they had left the tavern. But how could he know so much? Even the secret code of the spy network? Walloon even knew who to look for! That they were even here to begin with!

It didn't take a genius to put two and two together.

"What have you done with them?"

"They were quite talkative." Walloon began. "With a bit of incentive of course."

"Where are they?"

"Resting." The pirate played his slender hand over the smooth texture of the sword. His eyes sparkled with a malicious air. "Though I doubt they'll want to have a talk with you, my friend."

"So they're still alive?"

"Depends on how you define alive."

It took both men to keep Caleb in check as he tried to attack Walloon. "You bastard!"

"Your friends were arrogant to think they could hide away in this city. Nothing escapes our eyes. Even Meridian's infamous spy network." The red-haired pirate pointed the sword at Caleb. "And you are lucky we need a bargaining chip or else you would have joined them."

"Bargaining chip?" Caleb growled as he was forcefully pushed to his knees. One man grabbed the hair on his head and pulled it back as far as he could so that Caleb's eyes were looking up at the ceiling. He even went so far as to bring a knife to his neck, the thin sliver of steel casually drawing blood. Only Walloon's steady hand kept the man from taking his life right then and there.

"Explain yourself!" Caleb ordered though he was in no position to do so.

"You fail to grasp your situation. I give the orders here. These," he waved his arm around. "Are my men. With but a word I can have them cut you up and have you served on the market place where I'm sure a very interested patron will pay to have you on his plate by the next morning. You'd be surprised how tasty human flesh is to the untrained palette."

As hard as it was to admit Walloon was right. The man who held the knife appeared over his range of vision, an ugly reddish tongue slipping out his mouth behind yellow teeth. He licked his lips as if the prospect of carrying out his captain's threat was just too good to pass up. He laughed in his face. The smile growing ever wider as the knife drew more blood.

"Get away from me."

"Once again we fail to communicate." Walloon approached and took the knife out of the man's hand. He had a choke hold on Caleb before he could gasp and pulled him in close. The subtle, soft-spoken pirate had disappeared to be replaced by a ravenous and angry murderer. His eyes blazed the color of the ocean during the sunrise; a wicked red that burned just to look upon them. With a snarl, Walloon spoke to him. "I…GIVE…THE ORDERS…HERE!" He chocked him even more. "Do not test me, scum of Meridian. Had I my way I would have you disemboweled right here and wear your entrails as a scarf! Perhaps your kidneys would make a delightful hat or at the very least your blood will do nicely in cleaning my blade. I have done things to man and woman alike that will make your worst nightmares seem like a wet dream. I _am_ your worst nightmares. So do not test me!"

"See the problem with that is…" Caleb sputtered through his breath. "I have a pretty good imagination…_cough!_...so you'd have to work pretty hard to scare me."

The blunt side of the knife came crashing down on his face and Caleb's world went spinning. Only when he tasted blood did he realize he was still awake. Only when something powerful struck his gut did he realize that he was _very_ awake!

Walloon kicked Caleb numerous times, venting his rage. Then he proceeded to step on him like an insect. And he stepped down HARD. Caleb could have sworn he heard something crack but the pain was making it hard to be aware of anything. All he could do was moan in agony as the mad pirate continued to pummel him and he began to wonder if perhaps Phobos was indeed the lucky one.

---

_Ouch! That looked like it hurt._

Phobos watched the scene among the crowd and like them found it quite entertaining. Though he much preferred the subtle ways of torturing a prisoner he found a small payback against the rebel leader in his predicament. Still, he couldn't very well allow them to kill Caleb. As brilliant as he was, Phobos was still an owl among vultures and he'll need his little hawk to help him escape this den of debauchery.

Walloon was really going at it. Apparently this fool had forgotten that he needed Caleb alive.

A simple mind-read of the nearest pirate and Phobos knew all he needed to know. "Captain." He voice was guttural as he spoke. "We should be heading to the rendezvous. Our men will have the other prisoners soon enough."

Walloon reared around, his face furious that one of his men should disturb his tantrum. His eyes fell on a tall man wearing a dirty brown cloak; whose face was covered save for his mouth. "Who dares?" Behind him, Caleb wriggled in pain, blood pouring out of his red teeth.

"Belrogg, sir." Phobos said. He pulled back the hood to reveal the familiar face of a man in his early thirties, scraggly green hair, dark eyes and skin lined with warts. "I fought alongside you when we raided the _Grimport_."

Walloon's eyes settled into realization. "Yes…I-I remember." The captain looked back at Caleb, a look of distaste crossing his handsome features. But then he became relaxed and was the suddenly reasonable Captain Walloon once again. He fixed his large brown hat with the red feather neatly on his head as it had nearly come off during his spat. "Well, it appears I almost got carried away. Be a shame for Nerissa to receive her merchandise when it is all in pieces, wouldn't it?"

The men chortled.

"Very well then, Belrogg. Take this one to our keep and remember to use the side tunnels. No telling where those deep worms will decide to nest until we finally clean them out."

"Yes, sir." Phobos made his way to Caleb and picked him up. The youth was still conscious but just barely. He leaned in to whisper into his air just as Walloon was giving out orders to the rest of his crew. "That's two you owe me."

Caleb's eyes flashed open at the recognition of the voice.

"Captain!" A female crew member cried and rushed over to Walloon holding something. It was the severed hand that belonged to the late Phobos. But it was different somehow. The hand began to morph. No longer was its smooth skin fair and without blemish but now turned a sickly green color complete with warts.

Walloon could not believe what this meant. "Belrogg?" He and everyone in the room turned to the man who now had Caleb standing up and with their backs to them. "This belongs to you…" Walloon stated though it had a questioning air to it.

"So it does." Phobos said. His voice had returned to its original rich flavor and as he turned so did his face revert back to its true form. "I'm sure Belrogg would like it back. Wouldn't you, my dear fellow?"

"Ugnh…" All turned to see a dark figure step out of the shadows. It was Belrogg, but his eyes were a pupiless white and he shuffled along like a man possessed.

Captain Walloon raised Caleb's sword only to find that it too had changed into a long strand of a thousand human hairs which wrapped itself around Walloon's neck. The crew cried out in alarm while Belrogg continued marching forward.

As Walloon turned to face them, Phobos could only smile. "I may not be well-versed in the ways of the gruenor as you so pointed it out back at the tavern. But I know magic when I sense it. Did you think a trap as pitiful as that one could have killed a mage of my abilities? Dear Captain, you are a fool. Oh, and Belrogg," the zombie groaned. "The captain did fancy a wardrobe made of entrails. Do accommodate him."

Then Belrogg exploded and the room was filled with gore.

Phobos now carried Caleb to the far side of the room where a passageway led down an ancient stone stairwell. At the bottom they found themselves in a labyrinth of tunnels but Phobos, having read the minds of the pirates back in the chamber, knew the entire catacomb like the back of his hand. He took to the air, gliding with Caleb in tow. Finally, Phobos brought them to a large metal cart that was situated atop a mono-track. Grunting, Phobos forced Caleb inside.

"Phobos?"

"Yes it's me. And you can thank me later you ungrateful whelp!" The prince spat. "I heard your thoughts about me when they said I was dead. Hope I suffered? Next time I'll allow them to perform the Dance of the Winter Solstice on your head before I lift a finger to help you!" He mentally checked his mental map to make sure he knew where the tram system led then he hopped aboard to scan the system of controls before him. "What a primitive form of transportation." He muttered.

"Phobos," Caleb said. "My sword."

"Your debts are really mounting." Phobos pulled out Caleb's sword from beneath his robes and dropped it into his lap. With a snap of his fingers, Phobos undid the binds on Caleb's hands. "Here." He tossed a vial to him as well. "It won't heal you completely but it should mend whatever bones were broken."

Angry shouts could be heard coming down the tunnel. "I think we overstayed our welcome. Let's see now…touch this button, push this lever and," the cart started moving. "Is there anything I can't do?" Phobos asked all too pleased with himself.

Caleb drank the vial Phobos gave him and all of a sudden most of the pain went away. The weariness from his head had lifted and he could feel his strength returning. He took his sword, growing stronger with its feel in his hands. Then he looked to Phobos who was manning the cart. To think he now owed him two times over for saving his life. Still, he was a man of honor and though he hated to do this, "Thanks."

"Don't thank me yet," Phobos said. They had just entered a black abyss as the cart rolled into the tunnel. The wheels screeched loudly and they began to pick up speed with every passing second. "Phobos, where are we?" He heard Caleb ask and he had to shout even though he was right next to him. The prince used telepathy to respond. _"We are inside the old tram system running underneath Limen. It's how they used to bring in the materials they found in the mines back to the city without traversing the swamp."_

"_We need to contact the others."_ Caleb thought back. _"We have to let them know,"_

"_Believe me, son of Julian, they are well aware."_

---

"Your left!" Aldarn screamed.

Julian cursed beneath his breath. In finishing his latest opponent it had given another one time to come around and assault his exposed flank. His sword was too deep in the unfortunate man for him to get it out in time so he did the next best thing. Using the corpse as a shield, Master Julian brought him to face the incoming sword and watched as it cleaved right through the shoulder and nearly taking the head off in the process. Julian kicked the body into its companion removing the sword in the process. While the assailant tried in vain to retrieve his weapon from the splattering body of his dead friend, Julian closed in for the kill, performing a deadly slash that cleaned both their heads off in one fell swoop. They collapsed into a gory embrace.

These men had been sent by the Guild. They were called "Negotiators", usually applying their trade at the end of a sword. Their tactics had yet to change in all the time Julian had been gone. These masked soldiers relied on fear and intimidation to coax their victims to do whatever they wanted. Such was the way of the entire Pirate's Guild. But even he had to admit this was a bit much for just the three of them…and Blunk.

The passling had taken cover behind a pile of strewn garbage only occasionally poking his head out to see how faired the fight. When they had refused to come along quietly, the Negotiators sought to use force. Roiya didn't take kindly to that and drew first blood. Her sword, that magical silver blade which had earned the name Frostbite, sang as she cut a swath through her enemies. The name was quite fitting as it not only severed countless limbs but turned each and every man into solid ice statues. Already the alley was littered with the broken bodies of Frostbite's wrath.

Aldarn was faring quite well despite being outnumbered. The reckless youth took on three Negotiators at once and it was only through some fancy footwork did he keep away from the weapons that sought his heart. "Die!" Came the blood-curdling scream of the warrior. Aldarn danced around the first man coming up just behind him and between the other two. As predicted, the Negotiator who had been flanked feared for his safety and instinctively came about slashing his sword while he did so. His allies were too close and they suffered the sting rather than Aldarn who had ducked. They clutched their spurting necks as he now turned to Aldarn. One-on-one, the Negotiator was no match for Aldarn and he finished him with a simple thrust through the chest cavity, silencing his heart forever.

Now that he saw Aldarn was holding his own, Julian turned his attention back to the main body of Negotiators. Half that body was already dead. The sheer skill of the three warriors proved too much for this group of assassins to match. They were used to fighting weak prey, those who cowered easily at the mere sight of their numbers. They now faced a woman who had challenged the might of the open sea; a young man who had been fighting monsters his whole life; and a former knight of Meridian. They didn't stand a chance.

So Julian got to wondering just why they continued to fight when all it would lead them to is an early grave.

"Master Julian." Aldarn stood with him back to back. "I've been trying to mentally contact Phobos but I can't seem to reach him."

"I know. So have I."

"You think they're in trouble?"

"No more than we are."

"These men are doomed. But yet they still fight."

"Probably waiting on reinforcements." One Negotiator dared to challenge Julian and was cut down in short order. "Maybe they're not with the Guild at all." He said aloud.

"What?"

"Nothing." Julian said still trying to figure this whole thing out. They wore the garments of Negotiators, but something in their tactics, their fanatical drive to fight on despite suffering heavy losses, had cause for suspicion.

A sudden burst of fire illuminated the entire alley and all present paused to take in the new arrival. It was a wizard and a powerful one. A long, pointy nose poked out from behind a great black beard that touched the floor. He held an oak staff in one hand crowned with a green orb at the top. Raising a thin hand which resembled a skeleton's he began to cast a spell.

Aldarn let out an old Meridian curse while Julian pulled him aside; just before a great black root shot up from the ground to grab them. Roiya saw what had just happened and reached into the inside pocket of her vest to pull out a tiny jewel. "Quick, get behind me!" she ordered.

"Blunk, come on!" Aldarn called to the passling as he and Julian rushed to Roiya's side.

"Agh! Where Phobos when need him?" Blunk half ran, half stumbled behind them. "Blunk never thought he'd hear himself say that."

As the trio joined her, Roiya whispered a word of magic to the gem and threw it on the ground. It exploded into a jelly-like substance that seemed to come to life. With a gesture of her fingers, Roiya ordered the living jelly to attack the wizard and it did, with amazing speed. The jelly monster had grown to great proportions and fell on the wizard like an angry wave. "Come on. That won't hold him for long." Roiya led the way past the two remaining Negotiators who no longer seemed interested in continuing the fight now that the wizard had come. They stood to one side at rigid attention like obedient little statues.

As they left the alley they could hear the sounds of lightning and the gargling sounds of the jelly thing. "What was that?" Aldarn asked Roiya.

"Don't have a name for it. I came across them on an island in the far south. They are invulnerable to most types of magic. Downright useful against a sorcerer but I wouldn't count on it lasting much longer against that one."

"How so?"

"He's a mage for hire. Damn good one too. I had heard he was in Limen but didn't know he found a contract. If the Guild's hired him they must be deadly serious."

"I don't think it is the Guild." Julian said.

"Surely you haven't forgotten what Negotiators look like, Julian." She told him.

"They're tough but they're not suicidal. They wouldn't just throw their lives away like that. Besides, didn't you say the Guild wanted us alive?"

"So what are you saying? That they're with the Lords?"

"I'm thinking there's a third party at work here."

"You think maybe it's Nerissa?" Aldarn asked.

"She doesn't want us dead anymore than the pirates do."

"Then who?"

"Somebody who has something gain from us not falling into anyone else's hand." Julian said. "Even if it means killing us."

"Looks like you're pretty popular these days." The pirate joked.

Julian disregarded that remark. "How much time do you think that thing will buy us?"

A thunderous roar and high-pitched shriek filled the air. "That's about it." Roiya said. "We'd better get off the streets else we'll have the Guard on our tails too." She led them on a deserted street save for a few homeless people huddling in the dark. "I know a guy we can trust. His abode is magically warded to prevent scrying eyes. We can plan our next move there."

"But what about our friends?" Aldarn asked.

"Relax." She said. "If they're anything like you they can take care of themselves."

---

The entire alley was littered with the remnants of the jelly monster. It proved a bit harder to kill than he had thought, but the wizard had yet to face a beast he could not kill or a bounty he could not catch. The remaining two Negotiators walked up to him awaiting their next orders. Before he could do so they were joined by dozens of patrons from the _Gizzard's Throat_ who rushed out to see just what that commotion was all about.

One of them approached the wizard. It was the bartender himself. "What happened here?"

The powerful mage lifted his head though his eyes were still hidden beneath the cowl of his hood. "Thank you for volunteering." He said in a voice too strong for one of his seeming age. The two assassins at his side unsheathed their weapons, closing the distance between them and the bartender. Various cries and gasps alerted him to another spectacle. The mutilated bodies of the dead Negotiators were coming back to life. With arms hanging by a thread and limps dangling at precarious positions, not to mention a few missing heads, the zombies surrounded the crowd. In mere moments they were all dead.

Casting another spell, the wizard "raised" his new recruits and proceeded to hunt down his prey.

---

The guards watched the trolley pull up to a stop at their post. It had only one occupant: a man who did not bother to hide his own face and who greeted them with an enthusiastic smile. "Good day, gentlemen. I trust our prisoners haven't been keeping you up late."

Two of the guards looked at each other confused, as neither of them recognized the man. The third one, a tall brute with bulging arms, yellow skin and whose head was completely bald, took one look at Phobos before baring his teeth. "Identify yourself."

"Of course, how silly of me. I just joined the crew yesterday but the secretary misplaced my application and so as a test of my loyalty, Captain Walloon has sent me to bring the prisoners to him for further interrogation."

"No one has told us anything."

"Such is your dilemma but I assure you that my intentions are completely legitimate." He hopped off the metal cart. "Now if you'll just escort me I will take our guests off your hands and,"

"One."

"Beg your pardon?"

"There's only one left. The other died this morning."

"Oh dear. Very well, I will take our guest to the captain,"

The large guard covered the distance between them in two easy steps. "You don't sound like a pirate." He took a sniff. "Or smell like one either."

"Thank you for noticing. I believe good hygiene is essential in leaving one's victims with a good impression before sending them off to the life hereafter. Nails are important as well." Phobos raised his hand to show the brute his nails. "See? No? Well here…" They extended to many times their length, traveling through his eyes and out the back of his head. "Have a closer look." But he was dead before his weapon ever hit the ground.

One guard cried out to his friend but when he turned around he found the other one with a long red gash across his throat and tumbling to the ground. Caleb stood behind him, a bloody knife in hand.

"Damn you!" He was about to attack but Caleb was too fast. He lunged at the guard, unsheathing his sword, turning around and stabbed backward, catching the man in mid-swing. His whole body quivered in shock at the terrible shard of metal sticking through his gut. Caleb pulled out the sword and performed a deadly chop which opened up his chest. Blood spewed forth and the guard fell backward, his body making a sickening slump as it hit the ground.

"I see you're feeling better." Phobos came up to him while wiping his bloodied fingernails with a handkerchief. "Shall we go on?"

Caleb wiped the blood off his sword. "Are you sure this is where they're keeping them?"

"I read their minds. Your spies are right behind that door." He motioned to the large wooden door at the far end of the tunnel.

The rebel leader would have gone in first except past experience told him otherwise. "You first."

Rolling his eyes, Phobos gently pushed the door open with one hand. "Satisfied?"

"Any traps?"

"None that I can sense. Then again not all traps are magical."

"What about…them?"

"I can hear one mind. Barely audible but still alive." The hall they entered had doors on either side. "There." The prince pointed to the one of the far left. Once there, Caleb peered inside to look at its one occupant huddled it the shadows. "Open it." He ordered Phobos. "Hurry."

"Hmph." The prince didn't like being ordered around but bypassed the locks using his magic and the door swung open.

Caleb went inside. The last living spy breathed so heavily that his whimpers came out in exaggerated gasps. He scuttled away when he saw Caleb and Phobos. "Wait. We're here to help you. Please don't move you are badly injured."

"We're with the resistance." Phobos said and Caleb eyed him. "What? _We _are."

Turning back to the poor man, Caleb extended a friendly hand. "I am Caleb. You know who I am. Now let me help you."

"C-Caleb?" The man gurgled. He was almost impossible to understand. "Our…leader?"

"Yes. Come now." He kept his hand outstretched.

A mutilated appendage slapped into his palm. The "man" lurched out of the darkness and into the light. It took Caleb everything he had to keep from screaming.

---

Hm…you have to wonder who's got it worse. Caleb for having to rely on Phobos; or Phobos for trying to be all nice.

Some of you may be asking, "Are there going to be any guardians in this story?" The answer is, "yes." But I'm building up to that. I want to start wrapping up the Limen arc so we can get to the next chapter in their fight against Nerissa. Your reviews have been wonderful.


	7. Chapter 7

**TSSF: Caleb is beaten by Walloon who loses his temper. It is then that Phobos, disguised as a member of the band of pirates, warns the captain of the repercussions of his actions. Phobos is ordered to take Caleb away but then the man he impersonates steps out of the shadows. Returning to his true form, Phobos springs his trap and escapes with Caleb into the tunnels beneath the city where they board an ancient transit system. Julian, Aldarn and Roiya battle it out with a group of assassins known as Negotiators and are winning until a wizard arrives. He forces them to retreat and Roiya believes they may find refuge with an old friend of hers. Beneath the city, Caleb and Phobos kill the guards that are holding the rebel spies captive and enter the cells. What they find is beyond belief.**

---

7-Exit Strategy

It had been a man once, Caleb reminded himself. He forced himself; no-_willed_ himself to look at the man face to face. Never had he encountered such a twisted form of human being in his life and yet despite all the atrocities he had witnessed, despite all the ragged prisoners he managed to free during the rebellion, despite all the mangled bodies of friends and comrades he dragged off the battlefield…nothing could have prepared him for this.

Phobos did a splendid job of keeping his cool. There was no shock in his eyes but actually a hint of admiration. When he had ruled over Meridian, he instructed his dungeon master to perform the most cruel acts of torture and punishment against usurpers to his throne. He had been quite articulate at his job and it pleased Phobos whenever he saw the results of his particular profession. Many a stubborn rebel cracked under the pain, but never in all his sadistic dreams had he even considered a fate as horrid as this. To say he was impressed was an understatement. Truly whoever performed this act, a mage most likely, was as twisted as the Whisperers in Phobos' gardens. Where as Caleb saw ravaging, Phobos saw talent.

To put it simply it was a kind of living death. The man was in pain at all hours of the day and night; having one's nerves protruding from one's body would do that.

Caleb could feel his stomach churn. Discipline alone prevented him from regurgitating his last meal. A terrible taste filled his mouth – a cross between bile and swamp water, the foulest taste he had ever had the displeasure of knowing.

His hand shaking, Caleb reached out to the m…to what was once a man.

"Don't." Phobos told him and Caleb retracted his hand immediately. When his questioning eyes fell on the ex-prince, Phobos regarded the hideous lines along the prisoner's skin. "The nerves. The slightest touch will cause him considerable duress." He thought on it a moment. "Though in this case, it will not really matter as nothing can be done to ease his suffering."

"How…" Caleb started to ask but as if reading his mind the prince had already formulated the answer.

"Black magic. Quite powerful, I must say. Whoever did this literally twisted the man inside out. The only reason he is still alive is because the wizard has removed his heart and locked it away somewhere." Phobos closed his eyes and began to use his considerable magical abilities to scour the area. "He would have to keep it someplace safe so as to prolong the prisoner's torture. The black magic is the only thing that keeps his heart beating. Once it stops," A terrible beating filled his eyes. His magic senses had scryed the entire complex and already it had located that which he sought. It was nearby; well protected too, but nothing he could not overcome. "There." The image of a beating heart held within a magic cage appeared in his mind. "I have found the heart."

"Bring it here." Caleb ordered.

The prince opened his eyes. "What do you plan to,"

"Just do it." He said without taking his eyes off the prisoner.

Mumbling, Phobos took his leave and went to fetch the heart.

Caleb was now alone with the man who had his entire body turned inside out. The veins were not the only unsettling part of the picture. The man's lungs heaved before him, gasping with each passing breath; his guts, liver and kidneys were in a lump on the floor; his brain was quite visible, only partially covered by what was left of his skull; the skeleton of his body encased the hanging muscle like a cage. And his lidless eyes gawked at the rebel warrior.

"L…lead…er…" his exposed jaw struggle to formulate words.

"I am here." Suddenly the disgust was gone and nothing but compassion was left in Caleb's heart. He almost took the man's hand but Phobos' early warning reminded him of the repercussions of such an act and he refrained from doing so. "I came here to," He almost couldn't say it. "Rescue you. I," He felt so ashamed, so helpless. "I tried to…that is…" What was more to say except, "I'm sorry."

"T-took it." He told Caleb and the leader misunderstood.

"We know. My companion has gone to retrieve your heart. Your suffering will not last much longer."

But the prisoner, who managed to sit himself halfway up despite _everything_, croaked. "No…p-p-plansss," He hissed. "T-terrible w-weap-pon."

"The plans?"

"Yessss." He gurgled. "Enc-c-cassed in mag-gi-c b-box. They n-not able t-t-to op-en." He was fighting for every word and Caleb could not help but beam with respect for the sheer amount of will it took him to speak. "Code…is…l-ly-ly-th-thandor. Open b-box."

As much as it pained him to do so, Caleb had to know everything. "Who took it? Where? How long?" _By the Oracle, give him time you fool!_ He scolded himself.

"Not…long. T-take to G…Guild…head-q-quarters. Man-y t-ter-r-rible warriors. Killers!" He emphasized that last point. "T-take care." He collapsed, the impact on his nerves sent waves of excruciating pain throughout his body.

Caleb cringed as he watched the man writhe in agony. "Please…don't move!" he said but the man was beyond words. Only one thing would end his suffering.

As it turned out, Phobos appeared in the doorway at that very moment. In his hand he held a cage suitable for some small species of bird. Levitating within the magical object was a still beating heart…the thumping sound would haunt Caleb's dreams for nights to come. Phobos took a moment to observe the prisoner's painful dance. "That doesn't look comfortable."

"Phobos." The prince looked at him. "Bring me the heart."

"Of course, my liege." He sarcastically replied and walked over to Caleb. "I should undo the wards first, however. Unless you want to get a jolt for your trouble."

A jolt? What was a sting of magic compared to this man's torture?

Caleb glared at Phobos. "Do it, Phobos."

Phobos complied and with a wave of his hand unsealed the wards protecting the beating heart. A green glow appeared on the cage and vanished just as quickly. Phobos removed the upper half of the cage where the heart continued to beat, albeit less strongly due to the loss of magic. With a firm hand, Caleb gripped the heart and held it up before him. Strange how such a small muscle could be the most powerful in the entire body. Before he did what he knew had to be done, he looked at he prisoner one last time. "Your name, hero?"

Gasping for what would surly be his last time, the man lifted his head. "Ral."

"You will be remembered, Ral." Caleb removed a dagger from behind his cloak. "And I promise you, as leader of the resistance and sworn enemy of Nerissa," He raised the dagger. "You will be…" His teeth clenched. "Avenged!" Down came the blade – silent went the heart.

One final breath escaped Ral before he went still. It was over. Caleb had freed him from his pain. He did what any good leader would do for his men. Despite this ending, Ral could rest knowing he had done his duty and ascend to the paradise that awaited him. His friends were there; all of them smiling and greeting him with open arms. He was a peace now, the war was over for him.

Yes…it was over.

---

Caleb collapsed on the wall outside the cells. The tragedy of what he had seen had shaken him more than he dared to admit. He had promised Ral vengeance and he would see it through, but nothing he could do would ever justify what that poor man had gone through. He was hurting. He was angry. He wanted to kill.

Phobos joined him soon afterward. A dim light came from the hallway behind him as Caleb ordered the prince to cremate the body. Putting his hands behind his back, Phobos glanced at Caleb who was still sulking. "So," He began. "Mission Accomplished?"

For a moment it looked as if Caleb didn't even hear him. "Ahem." Phobos did not like having to repeat himself. "Can we go now?" It sounded almost childish to ask but Phobos had had enough of this calamity. The sooner they left this wretched city behind the sooner he can get back to regaining his throne, his kingdom and his title.

Slowly, Caleb lifted his head. He didn't look at Phobos, however, but rather at the continuing darkness of the tunnels. The transit system ran beneath the entire city according to Phobos. With his "acquired" knowledge of the tunnels, they would be able to circumvent the underground passages with ease and come up at their enemies when they least suspected.

Guild Headquarters. That was where the plans had been taken to. That's where they will need to go. But Caleb and Phobos can't go storming the fortress of their enemies by themselves.

He stood up. "Come on."

"Finally."

"We must find my father and the others."

"Then we leave, right?"

Caleb didn't answer him at first.

"Right?" Phobos pressed.

With one hand on the cart, Caleb turned to Phobos. "Then we make these bastards pay."

Both heard something. It seemed those Bastards Caleb mentioned were finally catching up to them. Screeching wheels were followed by harsh and angry voices and the duo knew they had overstayed their welcome. "Phobos."

The former tyrant sighed and joined his protégée.

---

How pleased Aldarn was to have his old face back again. He couldn't stop admiring his rugged good looks in the mirror and began rubbing his firm chin. "Looking good."

"Blunk like you better as rock monster."

Aldarn regarded the passling for a moment. Something like that coming out of a creature that looked like him didn't mean much at all. The little guy's vision of beauty involved grimy skin, bald head, crooked teeth and a stench that would give a larvex reason to run.

"To each his own." Aldarn said, quoting something Caleb told him once. Ironically, he had been quoting something the guardian known as Hay Lin had told him and she in turn quoted her grandmother, the Honorable Yan Lin, and she quoted…well, the list goes on.

They turned back towards the guest room where Master Julian, the pirate, Roiya, and their host were in deep deliberation. Julian, back to normal as a human, was anxious to get back out there and find Caleb. He had told Aldarn and Blunk to keep their identities secret since should word get out that the leader of the resistance and the former ruler of Meridian were out and about it could incite a manhunt and they had enough people after their heads. They had barely escaped the alley where they had fought the Negotiators, assassins working for the infamous Pirate's Guild and yet Julian wasn't so sure of that. He had little time to ponder as a powerful wizard appeared and forced them to retreat. Roiya unleashed a jelly monster to keep the mage busy while they made their exit and she led them to an unassuming house within the Market District.

The proprietor of said house was a blubbery, old woman who was more than she appeared. Her head was a massive lump of flesh so thick that her eyes almost disappeared behind it. A fat pink nose protruded from her face, peach red at the end. She had scraggly blonde-white hair that hung loosely from either side of a balding scalp. Her ears were tiny but never had Aldarn seen any so perfectly round. The woman waddled from place to place on fat legs causing her feet to scrap across the floor. Barely taller than Blunk and considerably less attractive, she was the kind of woman you looked at once and wished you hadn't.

But she was kind and she welcomed the fugitives to her home warmly and with open arms. Apparently, she was once a woman of renown in her youth who had traveled the world. She had fought monsters, explored dungeons and ruins, dinned with tyrants and kings, seen her share of war and was even a close-knit friend of Queen Elyon's grandmother. All this according to Roiya of course and Aldarn was instructed by Julian not to believe anything the pirate said.

This house, which served as a pottery store in the daylight hours, was well-warded against magic of almost any kind. The rebels had learned that the hard way when their magical guises dispersed after stepping inside. Roiya assured them that hey were safe here and the woman, whom she called Miss Pitterbee, was a friend and trusted confidant.

Miss Pitterbee arrived in the dining room with a tray of four glasses and a small pitcher. Julian raised his hand and with the kindest voice he could manage at the moment turned her down. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but our task is most urgent and I'm afraid we must be leaving."

"You won't get far." Roiya said. "With that mage on the loose."

"Nevertheless,"

"You'll die." Roiya cut him off. "And your friends will suffer a fate worse than death when they are turned over to Nerissa."

"Nasty wench, that one." Miss Pitterbee's voice was gruff and yet weak, like a herd animal trying to sound like a carnivore. She placed the tray on the table and motioned for everyone to sit. "Please."

"Madam,"

"Not nice to turn down a lady, Julian." Roiya smiled as she walked past him. "A Knight of Meridian is well-versed in mannerisms is he not?"

"Only those who are worthy of such formality." He whispered to her.

She smiled teasingly. Julian was attractive when he was angry. Even after all these years she still found herself intrigued by the man. Sure he may have aged, but he was still so cute.

"I will help you find your friends." The old woman said. "Lest they're not dead already."

That made Julian inhale sharply.

"Please madam," Aldarn stepped up to her. "Do not say such things. This entire endeavor would mean nothing if we lose them."

"Then you should not have come in the first place." She said and chuckled. "The best way to avoid trouble is to not put yourself in a position where you may have to face it in the first place."

"That what Blunk believes." Chirped the passling. "People call Blunk coward, but Blunk know that to stay safe, he should always stay clear of bad things. It how he survives."

"Then truly," Miss Pitterbee looked at him. "You are the wisest one here, my young friend."

Blunk beamed at the compliment.

"How will you help us find our lost comrades?" Julian asked seeking to draw the conversation away from meaningless banter.

Pitterbee regarded him. "Oh I have my ways."

"Indeed she does." Roiya said. "Show him."

The woman was a gracious hostess and poured tea into the cups before taking her leave. She returned to find that all but Julian had decided to indulge themselves. The seasoned warrior was simply too focused on his mission to harbor any distractions. Aldarn wanted to save Caleb too but he was cold and the tea was warm. Plus Miss Pitterbee reminded him of the den mother who helped raise him so it was out of courtesy that he obliged her hospitality.

Blunk took any opportunity to entice his taste buds and the tea was very sweet. He was halfway through his third cup when Miss Pitterbee came back with an orb.

"She's a magician too?" Julian blurted out unbelievingly.

Roiya turned to him. "Everything I've told you about Miss Pitterbee was true, Julian. She's a woman of many talents."

"But a magician?"

"Cleric actually." She corrected him. "Isn't that right, Miss Pitterbee?"

"Indeed."

"And what god do you worship if you don't mind my asking?"

"Melenee."

"Keeper of Secrets and messenger of the Pantheon of Divinities." Aldarn elucidated.

"That's the one. Now let's see here." Pitterbee placed the orb on the table and put both hands on either side. She then whispered a silent prayer to her god, asking for assistance. The orb glowed.

Aldarn stepped beside Julian. "I thought all magic was negated in here."

"Clerical magic is different." Julian whispered not wanting to disturb her. Anything she could do to help him find his son. "It relies on the blessing of a higher being rather than the Weave of Magic. Besides this is her home. She decides what magic can and cannot be used."

"Shh." Roiya said and this drew an angry look from Julian.

Blunk poured his fourth cup.

The orb dimmed to show swirling mist taking on an image. Pitterbee slowly opened her eyes. "There they are." The image cleared and all present came close to observe. Within the orb were two vague figures riding some sort of cart. They sped madly through a black tunnel turning this way and that. Little by little, the face of the men became apparent.

"It's C…" Aldarn stopped himself. One look at Julian told him how he almost blew their cover. "…Clearing up." He finished hoping that would fix it. He breathed an inward sigh of relief when he realized that neither Roiya or Pitterbee noticed his cover-up. It was a foolish mistake but he was relieved to find his best friend alive and well.

Alive anyway. Well was another matter.

The image panned back to reveal a wave of pursuers.

"Pirates." Julian said.

"Guild." Stated Roiya.

"Bad guys." Blunk muttered. He too was happy to find his human friend still among the living.

"Where are they?" Julian asked.

"Beneath the city." Pitterbee went on. "Ancient transit system. They are currently traveling along the canal."

"It's in the city's western perimeter." Roiya clarified. She turned to the cleric. "Where are they headed now?"

"If they continue on this path they will be under the city center in five minutes."

"The city center." Roiya looked at Julian. "The Lords reside there in their mansions."

Concerned, Julian came around the table to stand next to Miss Pitterbee. "Is there any way we can contact them? To bring them safely to us?"

Pitterbee gave him a bemused stare. "I serve the God of Communication, dearee. Of course I can contact them."

"Then please," Julian thought a moment. "On second thought, help me speak with them. They'll recognize my voice."

The old woman nodded. "As you wish. Place your hand on my shoulder and I will let you know when to talk."

Julian did as she told him. Putting his hand on her shoulder, he felt a tingling sensation as she forged a connection between them. Then he felt being drawn toward the orb, toward Caleb. Not physically of course but mentally. His vision blurred and he instinctively closed his eyes. In moments he was making head way towards his son without ever even moving.

---

"Can't you make this thing go any faster?"

"This is a mine cart, not a hugong!"

_TWANG! TWANG!_

"Why don't you make yourself useful and do something about our pursuers?"

"Like what? Catch the arrows with my bare hands?"

_TWANG! FWOOSH!_

"Dammit!" An arrow nearly found his right eye and had brushed by his ear. "Use your magic!"

Phobos glared at him. "Would you like to drive?"

"Would you like to live?" Caleb ducked another loosed missile. Quite frankly this whole chase was getting on his nerves and he wanted nothing more than to stop the cart, get out, and fight those pirates in close quarter combat. Problem is, they were traveling at reckless speed through near lightless tunnels and every sudden turn or jolt almost sent the warrior flying out to what would surely be a most uncomfortable demise. Had he a bow and arrow he'd give the pirates reason to back off but all he had was his trusty sword and there's no way he'd risk losing that in a vain attempt to spear the following cart's driver.

Keeping his head down, Caleb peered over the back and could make out the vague images of the oncoming pirates. Somehow they managed to stay on their tail and despite Phobos' best efforts they could not lose them. Every now and then one pirate fired an arrow in an attempt to strike the driver. Needless to say Phobos was none too pleased with his current station.

"Enough of this!" The enraged prince turned about and began to form an energy blast in his hand.

"No!" Caleb pulled him down just as the first hint of green light filled the air. Half a dozen arrows streaked by at that moment.

"Oh, so I suppose you _want_ them to capture us." Phobos snarled lying next to Caleb.

"I just saved you. Your magic is like a homing beacon. Any light and they'll pelt you with enough arrows to kill a gigadon."

Phobos fiddled like a trapped beast. "This is insulting. Me, the king of Meridian fleeing from a bunch of scoundrels!"

"Since when did you become king?"

"Since I imprisoned my sister and that bitch you call a mother inside the jewel!" Phobos paused to consider what he said. "Uh…no offense."

"None taken." Caleb had no emotional attachment to the woman named Nerissa. Despite being his biological mother, she was the vilest creature in the universe and he couldn't care less what people thought of her. "Look, we need to find a way out of here and meet up with the others. Can you use these tunnels to take us to where they are right now?"

"I can't. I've been trying to contact them ever since we escaped Walloon but nothing seems to be getting through. It's as if they have left the city."

"What?"

"I can't explain it. Why don't we just leave and come back later?"

"They may be in trouble."

"WE'RE in trouble!" the cart was jolted violently all of a sudden. The pirate troupe had managed to close the gap between them and the jolt was a result of clamps grabbing hold of their cart. Two pirates, using the clamps as leverage, slowly began to make their way over to them. One carried a lamp while the other held a sword. Together they readied to storm the cart but found no one there to greet them.

"Ticket, please." Said a voice from below and no sooner had the swordsman looked down when a magnificent blade pierced his head through his chin. The lamp-carrier readied his own weapon but a smooth hand grabbed his neck and slowly began to drain the life out of him.

Caleb shoved the now dead swordsman away and turned to Phobos. "We're not leaving them."

"As you wish." The wizard smiled as the man went limp in his hand. Now resembling a prune, the pirate shrank to half his original size and was discarded. Their demise, however, had allowed two more pirates to make their way across the clamps.

"_Caleb!"_

"What?" This moment of distraction allowed one pirate to launch a bolo whip which he had ensnared around Caleb's throat and yank him forward. Dropping his sword, Caleb lurched over the end of the cart, hanging precariously over the screeching tracks. "Aggh! Phobos!" He cried.

"Hm?" He answered mundanely as he readied a spell to destroy the second pirate. "Oh. You're about to die."

The pirate holding Caleb pulled in an attempt to send him falling onto the tracks. "Stop him."

"Sorry. Fighting now." He blasted the second pirate's foolish attempt to rush him. He disintegrated in midair.

"Phobos!"

"Fine, fine." Phobos turned his deadly spellcasting hand on the first pirate who didn't seem to notice his partner's gruesome finish. An energy ball formed in his outstretched palm but just before he could fire it off a arrow streaked just before his face. "Insolence!" he roared and turned the hand on the other cart. The attack sent the remaining pirates ducking and surely made them think twice before taking another pot shot at the powerful mage.

_For Oracle's sake!_ Suddenly realizing he did not want to be indebted to the prince a third time, the warrior took actions of his own. In a crazy display of, "machismo", as Irma once put it; he allowed himself to be pulled off but clamped his feet on the edge of the cart. That combined with the leverage from the man trying to pull him over had Caleb stretched out like a wrung towel. It hurt like hell and Caleb thought his neck would snap but the insane maneuver had the desired affect as the pirate, completely taken by surprise, momentarily let up and Caleb dropped…to grab hold of one of the clamps from underneath.

He held on for dear life as he used one hand to release the snare on his neck. Cursing, the pirate moved in, lifting his foot to stomp the rebel but that very move put him in a most unwanted position because now he was off balance.

Then Caleb loosened the whip…

…then he pulled…

…then the pirate fell…

…if it was any consolation he didn't scream for long.

He hoisted himself onto the clamp and rubbed his neck. Phobos had the other pirates busy dodging his lethal energy bolts. One was blown clear off from a direct hit and Phobos let out a cheer of triumph.

"_Caleb!"_

"Cough…dad?"

"_Thank the Divine! I kept my mouth shut because I didn't want to distract you any further. Now that you're alright I need you to listen. There's a junction coming up on your left. Take it. It will take you to us."_

"Where are you?"

"_Someplace far safer than where you are. Hurry, son, before you miss the junction."_

Knowing the voice to be trustworthy as much as a newborn baby would know its mother's without ever opening its eyes, Caleb immediately jumped back in his cart and worked the controls. He'd watch Phobos do it. This lever worked the controls so… "Left."

"What?" Phobos turned around and gasped when he saw what Caleb was doing. "No you fool!"

Too late. The cart lurched as it hit a sharp turn and both carts almost flew off the tracks. When the turn was complete, Caleb looked at Phobos with a triumphant smile though he doubt the prince could even see it in the dark. "See, I got it."

"Argh! You just sent us to our deaths!"

"What?" Before he could make Phobos clarify, the tracks dipped away and both carts plunged into an even deeper darkness. A foul stench filled the air and it became humid all of a sudden. Something sticky pelted Caleb's face and he spit as some of it got caught in his mouth. The constant screeching of the tracks was replaced by a sloppy sound. What the hell did he just do?

"I should have let Walloon kill you! Had I known you wanted to die…"

"Where are we?"

"In the main tunnels. Where they nest."

"Who?"

"Deep worms!"

Something heavy slapped onto Caleb's lap. He would have thrown it off had it not snapped at his hands. Crying out, the prince could hear the things hiss and the chomping sounds from its many sharp teeth. It wriggled and writhed and stank beyond reasoning. Blunk would have loved it.

A light created by Phobos showed them just where they were. This entire part of the tunnels was infested with large, moving monsters that clung to the walls, ceilings and even tracks as the many howls of pain filled the air whenever the carts ran over one. Behind them, the two could hear the pirates yelling in terror and one was even pulled out of the cart by a worm which snapped down at the right moment for a snack. The body was a mass of moss-green flesh, but the head was nothing but mouth and teeth. Thick tendrils coiled around the doomed man as he was pulled in.

Caleb finally managed to throw the "little" worm overboard. Deep worms. He heard of them but never thought to see them. He never _hoped_ to see them. Even mudslugs paled in against their grotesque nature. The hideous larvae reached in to eat them and only Caleb's sword and Phobos' magic kept them at bay. The pirates weren't so lucky and one by one they stayed for dinner.

"What possibly could have enticed you to go left?"

"My father spoke to me."

"How? I didn't hear anything."

"He doesn't like talking to you, remember?"

"Regardless," Phobos blasted another worm that came to close. "He's sent us to our doom. The track ends up ahead. The worms ate through them and now there's nothing but a black abyss."

"I trust him."

"That's your fault!"

"_Jump!"_

"What did you say?"

"I said, that's your fault!"

"_Jump! It's the only way."_

"Jump?"

"Are you mad?!"

"_Trust me, my son. You will be safe."_

"I…I trust you."

"Oh, so now we're friends?"

Caleb realized Phobos thought he was talking to him this whole time. "Get ready."

"For what?"

Though they couldn't see it they were almost at the edge of the abyss.

Caleb grabbed Phobos and pulled him into a sitting up position. "Get your hands off me you,"

"_Now!"_

"Now!"

"Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!"

The tracks disappeared and the carts fell. Caleb jumped with Phobos in tow into the darkness. At first they just fell…

…and fell...

…then…light.

They were blinded and the next thing they knew they were hitting wooden floor as the worm-infested tunnel was replaced by a living room with a fireplace in the middle. Groaning, both Phobos and Caleb rolled around on the floor until they were looking up at the ceiling. "Are we…dead?" Phobos gasped.

Caleb's eyes focused on an ugly face that appeared over his field of vision. Blunk smiled.

"Damn it all!" Caleb said. "I've wound up in the wrong heaven…"

---

**Author: Notice how not at any one time did Julian, Aldarn or Blunk worry or think about Phobos? They're like, "Where's Caleb? Is he okay? We need to find him." But Phobos? "Meh…"**

**I plan to expand in the next chapter to include Matt (for those of you wondering he's chillin' at the rebel headquarters while all this is going on), include the other faction in this fight, the Lords of Limen, and more of that mysterious wizard that attacked them in the alley. Next time, Caleb and company are going on the offensive!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Author: Kay, now things are getting interesting. But first, a note: this story is turning out to be much larger than I had anticipated. I hoped to finish the Limen arc by chapter five but here they are, still trying to get those damned plans! So this forces me to lengthen the chapters to include more, otherwise it'll take a hundred chapters to finish this story. But due to all the positive reviews I think Chink in Your Armor is turning out to be a very successful piece of work so let me take the time to thank all of you readers once again and I hope you'll stay with me.**

**Changes: Just a different formatting at the beginning of the chapter. The old one seemed kind of bland and to be frank I was getting tired of it. So from this moment on, a clip from the previous chapter at the start and a teaser for the next chapter at the end. Not original since many other writers have done the same thing, but imitation is the best form of flattery and I learn from the best. So here we go…**

---

_Previously…_

"_Jump?"_

"_Are you mad?!"_

"_Trust me, my son. You will be safe."_

"_I…I trust you."_

"_Oh, so now we're friends?"_

_Caleb realized Phobos thought he was talking to him this whole time. "Get ready."_

"_For what?"_

_Though they couldn't see it they were almost at the edge of the abyss._

_Caleb grabbed Phobos and pulled him into a sitting up position. "Get your hands off me you,"_

"_Now!"_

"_Now!"_

"_Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!"_

_The tracks disappeared and the carts fell. Caleb jumped with Phobos in tow into the darkness. At first they just fell…_

…_and fell..._

…_then…light._

_They were blinded and the next thing they knew they were hitting wooden floor as the worm-infested tunnel was replaced by a living room with a fireplace in the middle. Groaning, both Phobos and Caleb rolled around on the floor until they were looking up at the ceiling. "Are we…dead?" Phobos gasped._

_Caleb's eyes focused on an ugly face that appeared over his field of vision. Blunk smiled._

"_Damn it all!" Caleb said. "I've wound up in the wrong heaven…"_

---

8-New Plan

"Blunk, personal space!" Caleb did not survive a beating by a sadistic captain, being chased by a band of pirates and almost eaten by a ravenous horde of deep worms just so he could find himself in the smelly arms of an over-emotional passling. He had yet to sit himself up when Blunk pulled him into an embrace that lasted longer than Caleb's keen sense of smell would allow. Blunk on the other hand held no such compunctions. Caleb could have taken a dip in into a pool of rose petals and he'd still give him a big hug.

"Quit it, Blunk. I'm happy to see you too alright?"

With tears in his eyes, the passling stared up at Caleb like a child who had found his lost puppy. "Me just so glad to see you. Pirate lady say you were goner but Blunk not believe her for a second."

"Pirate lady?"

"He means me." Roiya Hall announced herself to the rebel warrior with a long stride of her thick, thigh-length red boots. Like Aldarn before him, Caleb found himself transfixed by her beauty and exotic alabaster hair. She was a fighter in every sense of the word; from her posture which allowed her to react to any situation in the blink of an eye to the way she kept a steady hand by her sword at all times to her magnificent blue eyes that took in all of her surroundings. Like a voluptuous tigress, Roiya Hall bared her perfect white teeth for Caleb into a most pleasant smile. "So you're the man these buffoons have been going on about."

Aldarn stepped out from behind Roiya. The young man was better at keeping his posture than Blunk had been but his eyes beamed with joy at the sight of his long-lost friend. "It's good to see you again." Aldarn came forward and reached down to help him up.

"Likewise." Caleb took his hand and was on his feet. Their hands grasped each other's wrists in military fashion and that was all that needed to be said between comrades at arms.

"See? It not just Blunk." Said the passling when he noticed the warmth in which Caleb had greeted his friend.

Caleb looked down at Blunk only this time with a smile. "You're a sight for sore eyes, Blunk. And coming from someone who just narrowly avoided getting eaten by worms that's saying a lot." Caleb scanned the room. "Where's,"

"I'm right here." Master Julian brushed past Roiya Hall and stepped up to greet his son in the same manner as Aldarn just did. The grip from Julian was even stronger, but that was due to a parent's fear of almost losing an only child. "Welcome back."

"It's great to see all of you again." Caleb placed a hand on Julian and Aldarn's shoulders. Then he turned to Blunk. "All of you."

"Ahem." The sweet voice of Roiya interrupted their little reunion. "Why is there a wizard with you?"

All eyes fell on Phobos who was dusting himself off since nobody had bothered to help him off the floor. "Oh don't mind me. I'm just the fool they hired to keep their precious leader safe from harm." His eyes frowned at the female pirate. "And _I_ am no mere wizard. I am Prince Phobos, Ruler of Meridian and soon to be ruler of the universe if I can ever get that scepter back from the witch who stole it from me." He didn't bother to relay the irony of that statement as he in fact had stolen the scepter from Nerissa first.

"Prince Phobos?" Roiya said unbelievingly. She looked at him with dodgy eyes and for a brief moment had lost her composure—she laughed.

"What is so funny?" The "ruler" of Meridian demanded.

"The once mighty tyrant of Meridian is now serving with the resistance? Alongside your former enemies? How could you not find humor in that?"

"It wasn't by choice! Nerissa had taken everything from me and now I'm forced to spend my days hiding beneath the earth while our so-called leader here plots ways to nibble at his mother's ankles."

"Phobos!" Julian barked. The fool had given away everything.

"Come now, Julian!" He said to the man. Phobos may not have been the most enlightened person in the universe…hell, he wasn't the least enlightened, but there was an old saying that went, "evil recognizes evil" and from the moment he laid eyes on Roiya he knew what she was all about. Phobos was the one who had recognized they were being followed when she tagged them to the _Gizzard's Throat_. The mage managed to get quick peek into her mind before he and Caleb had left to the ill-fated meeting with Walloon. He had hoped to somehow turn her scheme into his advantage but saw this time was as good as any so it was time to let the cat out of the bag. "That woman's known about us all along. She knew we were coming and had plans to capture us all along."

Julian turned to Roiya who had stopped laughing. "Is this true?"

"It is."

Julian's face turned as hard as stone. This woman from his past, a past he'd like nothing better to forget, who had manipulated him and gotten his friends killed, who had so readily left him for dead though a part of him wished he was, who had been pulling all the strings from the moment they supposedly cornered her in that alley…she had tricked him once again. Short of killing her as she was, there was no way for Julian to get his revenge and he hated that. He really _hated_ that.

"You knew all this time." He stated. "And while my son was fighting for his life you pretended to know nothing."

"I knew the leader of the resistance was coming to Limen to attempt a rescue mission. You were just a bonus, Julian."

"How?" Caleb stepped beside his father. "How could you have known?"

"Secrets are plentiful in Limen and that means they are not easy to keep." She began to pace to the other side of the room as she spoke. "Nerissa's activities around Limen have been increasing over the months. The fortress at Kazan was her latest acquisition which would provide her with the perfect base of operations. Until lately she's left us pretty much alone but we knew it was only a matter of time before she started to move in on our territory."

Reaching the far wall, Roiya did an about face and began walking back. "Reports of a military buildup have been coming in for weeks now. Limen is strong, but there is no way we could stand against her army. So we came up with a plan."

Caleb chuckled to himself. An old Earth saying came to mind and he voiced it, "Better to be on the ride side of the Devil than in his path."

Roiya nodded. "Exactly."

"What kind of plan?" Julian asked.

"Nerissa is powerful and yet she still fears the resistance. No." She looked at Caleb. "She fears you."

"Big surprise." Phobos folded his arms.

"And you." She told the former prince.

Taken by surprise, Phobos' eyes brightened. "Really? Er…well, of course! Why wouldn't she?" He puffed out his chest.

"And you." Her eyes fell on Julian. "The three of you pose the biggest threat to her devices. Though I can't see how seeing as you barely managed to survive without my assistance."

"She got us there." Blunk whispered to Aldarn and the warrior was forced to agree.

"The rebel leader, his father and the former prince are the head, the soul, and the sword of the resistance. So long as the three of you are out and about, Nerissa's claims will never be secure. That's why she wants you three brought to her in chains."

"Nice to see mom thinks of us so often." Caleb remarked.

Roiya looked at Caleb and smiled. "So what they say is true. You are her legitimate son."

"Unfortunately."

She smiled at Julian. "Can't say much for your taste in women, Julian. But I can see where your son gets his looks."

"The plan." Julian pushed.

She returned to the explanation. "As you already know, this city is divided. Each group vies for power in the hopes of controlling its ports and valuable information rackets. Our black market is highly sought after as well. The Barons who call themselves the Lords of Limen seek to become that dominant power. But there was a problem."

"The Pirate's Guild." Aldarn said.

"As I've said before they've become much stronger and now pose a significant threat to the Lords. Each wants to get in good with Nerissa so that they may win her allegiance."

"My mother does not give allegiances. She takes them."

"You know her treachery better than most, young warrior. But the Lords and the Guild are too stupid to realize this. They believed that winning her favor would grant them dominion over these lands. But they are wrong! So my organization took it upon themselves to secure the future of our city by playing both sides against the middle."

"Your organization?" Caleb asked.

"The people I work for. Like you and your rebels only with more sense to stay out of the crosshairs. Our weapons are stealth and subterfuge. Information is our shield. We keep to the shadows and use brute force only when necessary. Little by little, we've managed to consolidate our power and are poised to control this city. But so long as the Lords and the Guild are in the way that will never happen. Appeasing Nerissa was out of the question, so we came up with a plan." She paused for dramatic affect, enjoying the attention of so many good looking males; minus the passling, that is. "And that was to obtain a weapon capable of putting us on equal terms with the sorceress."

"Obtain a weapon?" Caleb repeated. When realization hit he almost drew his sword. "You…bitch."

"Caleb!" Aldarn started.

"It was you." He went on. "You're the reason all this happened."

Roiya half expected the youth to attack her right then and there so she prepared accordingly. One hand slipped beneath her cape to grasp a magical item hidden in her belt pouch while the other hovered dangerously over her sword. Should he prove good on his threat, he would find himself immobilized and dead before he knew it. But one look at Caleb told her this one was no fool. No doubt Caleb had formulated an attack strategy of his own and even if he should fail there were still his friends to deal with. Julian would be on her like a storm with Aldarn and Blunk lending their support. Phobos, while obviously not befriended by the rebels, would not take kindly to his only allies coming to harm unless he himself were the one to do it.

Five potential foes and only one Roiya. What else could she do but say, "It didn't work out the way we had wanted."

"Our men are dead because of you." Caleb growled.

Aldarn had readied himself for an eventual fight though he still had no idea what was going on. Caleb apparently did, which is why he was the leader and he was the subordinate. "Care to enlighten me?" He asked a bit aggravated being out of the loop.

And so Caleb obliged him. "Think about it. She's given us the clues already. She stated that her organization delves in information which means they would have known about the secret weapon Nerissa has been building at Kazan. They wouldn't have been stupid enough to attempt to steal the plans for the weapon themselves because that would have really pissed Nerissa off. No doubt she'd have sent her army to wipe Limen off the map, regardless of which of the feuding powers stole it from her in the first place."

"They were desperate." Julian picked it up. "With Nerissa closing in on them, the warring factions would do anything to ensure their survival. They knew they couldn't defy Nerissa up front so they let it slip out about her weapon. Guess who'd be the first ones to jump at the chance at taking from her?"

"The resistance." Aldarn said.

"They knew we'd never let something that dangerous stay in her hands so it was only a matter of time before we sent in a few of agents to steal those plans." Caleb continued. "No doubt Roiya's group had some hand in our men getting in and out of Kazan so easily." He spared a look at his father. "Looks like you were right in being suspicious, dad."

And he was, for Julian suspected that something was amiss when Drake had informed them that their rebels managed to steal plans from the most heavily-guarded fortress in this part of the world. Kazan was near impenetrable and yet somehow their spies had escaped with the plans in hand. Now it seemed the reason for that miraculous feat had been unveiled.

Caleb went on. "With Nerissa's forces closing in from all directions there was only one place the spies could have gone: Limen. It was there that Roiya's cohorts planned to capture them." He raised his chin. "But somebody beat you to it, didn't they?"

"Secrets are difficult to keep in Limen." Julian said. "According to your own words, so the Guild picked up on your little scheme and they found the spies before you did. When they didn't return, we assembled a rescue team and that's where we came in."

"But how would they know Caleb would be among the rescue party unless…" Aldarn's eyes lit up. "Unless…somebody told them."

"A spy in the resistance." Julian actually smiled. "You and your friends were always the best at what they do."

"It's how we survived this long, Julian. Not all of us have an army at our beck and call."

"And not all of us have others die fighting our own battles."

"Julian,"

"Enough!" Spat the veteran. He took a step toward Roiya and didn't even flinch when she reached for her sword, the magical blade, Frostbite, before stopping just mere inches in front of her. "Who is the spy?"

She remained silent.

"This is your last warning."

Roiya took a moment before answering. Her remark was as up front as her intentions. "I don't know."

"What?"

"I really don't know." For once she spoke the truth. "My job is to ensure our operations are running smoothly and to tie up any loose ends. Any information gathered is relayed to me from a mediator and they are who I report to when my task is complete."

"What were your orders?" Caleb demanded of her.

The pirate sighed as revealing such sensitive information was a risky and potentially fatal aspect of her profession but sometimes the situation called for a little trust and if she was to gain the confidence of these would-be liberators than she needed to give a little. But she wouldn't give out too much. She wasn't a complete fool. "We received news that you would be arriving to rescue your men so my employers sent me to keep an eye on you in the hopes you would lead us to the prisoners. We knew the Guild had captured them but we didn't know where. When Walloon entered the bar and sat down with you, I realized just how serious the Guild was in obtaining those plans. He is one of their finest agents. They would not have sent him unless something had gone wrong."

_The password._ Caleb thought. The unfortunate prisoner he had found told him the password they would need to unlock the box containing the plans for the super weapon. Somehow the man managed to keep that a secret from his torturers. No doubt the Guild believed the rebels would know the secret in unlocking it which is why they had sent Captain Walloon. He kept this to himself as Roiya continued.

"I was planning on following the two that left the pub when you stopped me." She motioned to Julian. "At first I wasn't so sure but then I recognized that scent. I could never forget you, Julian. Even in that ridiculous rock-man facade you adorned I knew it was you."

"Your species always did have a keen sense of smell." He admitted.

"I had planned on making my escape but then the Negotiators arrived."

"Negotiators?" Caleb asked.

Julian explained. "The Guild's private Hitmen. They attacked us shortly after you and Phobos left. Not long into the battle they were joined by a powerful wizard who tried to kill us. We escaped,"

"Thanks to me." Roiya interrupted.

"We escaped," he went on. "And came here. We managed to find and rescue you thanks to the aid our venerable hostess. She happens to be a woman of many talents and it was her magic that brought you here."

"Master Julian." Aldarn said. "Didn't you say there was something different about those Negotiators?"

"Indeed I did. They may don the same masks but these were not men. Some sort of dark magic flowed through their veins."

"Who were they working for then?" His son asked.

"One of the other factions I suppose. But let's ask Roiya here. She's more informed about the goings-on in Limen."

The pirate rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Julian, I know no more than you do."

"I would think an organization as well-informed as you claim yours to be would know all the players in Limen's twisted games."

"New players appear all the time. But as well entrenched we are in the criminal underworld even we are vulnerable to upstart gangs seeking to stake a claim." The distance between them diminished as she strode to him. "There are many powers at work in this city. Trust me when I say you'd be wise to side with us because only with my help will you and your friends walk out of this place alive."

As if it were even possible, Julian's face grew even colder. "I am…_never_ trusting you again, Roiya."

"Perhaps your son will."

"Alright." Caleb's interruption prevented them from going to blows. They both stood on a razor's edge and soon enough somebody would have to fall off. Be it Julian's or Roiya's, blood will be spilt.

Caleb stood in the middle of the room where he would have everyone's attention. There was still a mission to complete. "I don't pretend to understand what's going on all around me but I do know this for certain: good men died to get this information out of the fortress. Phobos and I found one of them, barley alive, and with his last breath he told me the whereabouts of the plans. Now I don't know where or when they are planning to make the trade or if they even contacted Nerissa yet, but I know that I am not leaving this city until I have them in my hands." He looked to Roiya. "We are fighting to liberate Meridian from oppression and slavery. Limen is part of Meridian. As of now we're facing a common foe. Help us regain the plans and it'll go one step further in preserving your independence."

Miss Hall chuckled. "Forgive me, but you're in no position to be offering ultimatums. The way I see it, you've no longer a purpose here. I suggest you leave while you still can."

But Caleb just smiled. "Not so. You see I know a secret about those plans that you don't. Something the prisoner told me before he died. Without it there's no way you can hope to get them."

The exotic pirate raised an eyebrow. This brash young man had suddenly turned manipulative. She didn't much like men who could do that. Other than Julian, no man had ever gotten the better of her when it came to settling a deal. But things had not gone the way they had planned. She'd be foolish to underestimate him. Heh, like father like son.

"You're lying." She said to test him.

Caleb became serious. "A man gave his dying breath to tell me this. I will not have my word questioned by a woman who uses deceit as a means to an end. Our mission is one in the same even if the finer details are a bit off. You need us and we need you. Nerissa is our enemy. Help us get those plans and I promise you we will fight her together. Otherwise," He crossed his arms. "You may as well start learning how to grovel. My mother likes that."

"It's your choice." Julian added.

She thought about it. Even if they were lying to her there was no way they could get out of the city without her help. They are as good as prisoners here. Besides, having the three most powerful men in the resistance by her side would go far into obtaining those plans. Once that was accomplished, she'd obviously had to find a way to ditch them though from the looks of it that wouldn't be too easy. They wouldn't trust her, she knew, and the revelation about her true intentions would only heighten their suspicions about her. Julian would be watching her like a hawk. It was a prospect she rather liked, but business always came before pleasure and should they come to blows Roiya would fight him with every fiber of her being.

She did not want it come to that.

"Where did you say the plans were being kept?"

"I didn't." Caleb told her. "And I'm not going to tell you unless you agree to help us."

"Shrewd negotiator." Her eyes fell on Julian and she added, "Must come from his mother."

No reaction on his face.

"Well?"

Phobos grew tired of this runaround. "Just say yes so we can get on with this already!"

The sudden outburst made Roiya study him. Phobos was definitely powerful, but if his fuse was as short as this then it was no wonder he was dethroned. A man like that wouldn't have lasted a day in the dark streets of Limen. Phobos was a conniver and a schemer, not a strategist. He knew nothing of the intricacies of leadership. The fact that Caleb had kept him in line all this time made her respect the boy even more. "Very well." She agreed. "Let's work together."

Satisfied, Caleb turned to Phobos. "Has your magic fully recharged?"

"Why?"

"Because we're going to need it for what I have planned."

"And what," Aldarn stepped forward. "Do you have planned?"

"I'd like to know myself." Julian said.

"We've made a lot of powerful enemies in the short time we've been here. Captain Walloon, the Guild, the rogue wizard and soon enough Nerissa's going to be at our doorstep. That's a lot of fronts to cover."

"Which is why you'll need my help if you have any hope of succeeding." Roiya said. "Just tell me where you need to go and I'll get you there. But I suggest you hurry for the longer we babble the less time we have before the pirates make the trade." She crossed her thin arms over her attractive breasts. "And do not forget that the fate of my people is riding on whether you're successful. We cannot allow the Guild, Nerissa or anyone else for that matter to get those plans."

"But we're forgetting someone else." Caleb said. "The Lords."

"What of them?"

"All this talk about rival factions and we've seem to have forgotten about the other big player. I have to believe the Lords of Limen have some hand in what's going on. They're probably the ones who sent that wizard after you in the first place. I think we should bring them in on our little scheme."

Roiya's face grew stern. "You shouldn't mess with matters you know nothing about, young one. What have you in mind?"

"We play two sides against the middle. You want the Guild and the Lords out of the way, right? What do you think the Lords would know if they found out the plans for the weapon are being held at Guild headquarters?"

"They'd do everything possible to get them before they could make the trade." Roiya said. "But the Guild base is heavily defended. It would take a sizable army to lay siege to the place and while the Lords have those kind of numbers it wouldn't be a viable use of resources. They could simply wait out the siege until Nerissa arrives or possibly use the tunnels beneath the city to meet with her in secret at some undisclosed location."

"I'm betting on option two." And Caleb, excited over the plot developing in his head, backed up a bit so that he could look at everyone. "Phobos and I were in the mines and it got me thinking that if the pirates controlled the tunnels then wouldn't it make more sense to sneak the plans through rather than simply hold them in their headquarters?"

"How do we know they're still in their headquarters?" Aldarn asked.

"Walloon went through quite a bit of trouble just to capture us. I doubt the Guild would have gone through the hassle if they had already made the trade."

"Which brings up the question," Roiya began. "Why wouldn't they?"

"Because they don't know the secret to opening the box that contains the plans." Caleb said. "But I do."

"Which is why they tried to capture us in the first place." Phobos announced. "Figuring that we'd know."

"But we didn't know until the prisoner told me. Now that he's gone I'm the only person who can open the box. This means they're stuck and that'll give us time to stage a break-in."

Roiya Hall nodded. "Good reasoning. But what does this have to do with the Lords."

"Two birds with one stone. It's a saying on Earth. If we can get the Guild and the Lords bashing each other over the head it'll provide the perfect distraction while we sneak in, steal the plans and make our escape."

"Such a battle would weaken them to the point where your people could move in and establish yourselves as the greater power." Julian's remark was directed towards Roiya while he was still listening to Caleb. "You'd be the new rulers of Limen."

"And we'll have the plans." Aldarn became exuberant. "Finally we can ditch this stinking place. Er…no offense."

"None taken." Roiya said. "But the whole point of this ordeal was for us to have the new weapon."

"The weapon was still in development. In addition to being a fortress, Kazan is also a factory which is why they decided to build it there in the first place. Sorry, Roiya, but I doubt you have the resources here to construct a super weapon of any type. It'll be more effective in our hands." The resistance leader laid his back against the wall with his arms crossed and one leg over the other. It was his "victory pose", or rather one he displayed when he knew he had gotten the better of a discussion. He'd do this with the guardians too and how Cornelia glared needles at him whenever he proved himself right.

But Roiya's eyes didn't fire any needles because she still wasn't satisfied. "So you have the weapon. Where does that leave us? Your mother will probably destroy Limen out of spite. Can you guarantee our safety then?"

"She won't do that."

Everyone looked at Phobos. The mage had been pretty quiet for most of the conversation and they seemed surprised whenever he spoke up at all. "It's not her style. I, on the other hand, would raze this decrepit pit to the ground had I been duped by the rebels. Lucky for you I'm in no position to do that. The way I see it, you win either way. After the pirates and barons destroy themselves that will leave you in charge. Nerissa's forces will move into the city anyway. But you said so yourself that your organization deals in secrets which means you'll control things behind the scenes. You will be the true rulers of Limen and without any competition whatsoever. I believe that is what they call a win/win situation."

The rebels almost gawked at Phobos' twisted logic. Everything he had said made sense and would strike a cord within Roiya far better than any great cause. Caleb couldn't help but smirk. He had to admit to himself that Phobos was proving to be very helpful in this mission. He would have made a good freedom fighter were he not so wicked.

"There you have it." Caleb turned to Roiya and was happy to see a smile on her face. "I trust you agree with everything we've said."

"Yes. But the final decision isn't up to me."

"Just let your bosses know we don't have a lot of time left."

Roiya Hall nodded. "Give me ten minutes." She strode and left the room. They overhead a door open and close from somewhere in the house and her footsteps had disappeared.

Julian felt the need to warn them all. "She will try to backstab us."

"As they say on Earth, '_doi'_." Phobos said.

"Not to worry. I've got it all figured out." The rebel leader tapped his head. "We're going to do this guys. We just need to play it safe."

"Safe is not a word I'd associate with you."

Caleb glanced at Phobos. "You're learning." He knelt down on the floor. "Check this out."

Julian, Aldarn, Blunk and Phobos joined Caleb where he slowly laid out the details of his master plan. It took a few moments but when he was done everyone, including Phobos, was impressed. The ex-tyrant even called it, "devious" which was a compliment coming from a man accustomed to such underhandedness.

"Pardon me." Miss Pitterbee appeared at the doorway with a tray full of treats and tea. "I'm sorry for being away for so long but when I saw we had more guests I rushed to make some of my famous _zymok_ cookies. I hope you enjoy them." She placed them on a table that magically appeared in the middle of the room, obviously some wonder of the house, later joined by a total of five seats.

Blunk didn't need encouraging and dived right in. Caleb and Phobos looked to Julian who then went about explaining who Miss Pitterbee was. Caleb thanked her for saving them while Phobos eyed her suspiciously. He didn't trust any magic that wasn't his own. In the meantime, the rest of the companions sat down and awaited Roiya's return.

---

"Well done, Roiya." The voice said. It was sexless; an ethereal tune that played a melody of empty cords. Rather fitting since there wasn't a body attached to it. Not that Roiya could have seen the body if it had one for she was standing with her eyes closed. It was the only way she could communicate with the voice that gave her orders and judging from the tone she had made the right decision in supporting the rebels. "You will lend your support so long as it results in our obtaining the secret plans. Should anything hinder that outcome you are to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands. Is that understood?"

"Completely." The pirate was standing in the alley beside Miss Pitterbee's house with a small orb in one hand that pulsated every time the voice spoke. This was how they communicated with one another.

"Once the Lords and the Guild are out of the way we will step in and take over. The fool rebels will have done our work for us and soon we will become a power unto our own. Even Nerissa will not be able to stand against us."

"Forgive me, master, but I would like aid in this task. The rebels are quite formidable and I do not think,"

"Do not think, Roiya. Leave that in my capable hands. Trust that you will not be alone when the time comes."

"Thank you, my lord."

"Good. Now hurry up and return. They'll be expecting you soon."

"Yes." She opened her eyes. The orb ceased its glowing and she put it away. So far, so good.

---

Two gleaming eyes watched the female pirate enter the house. From the shadows the old wizard appeared. He had finally tracked down his prey and it was only a matter of time before his quarry would be captured. Many shuffling feet accompanied his appearance and his zombie warriors, former patrons of the bar known as the _Gizzard's Throat_ came to his side. Above him, several shadows moved with purpose and the Negotiators made the scene. It was time.

---

**Okay, so no Matt yet but please don't hate me. It's just taking a really long time to write. The conclusion of the first part of my story is almost done and I'm thinking maybe two more chapters (maybe three) before I can begin part two. A big battle's coming up so here's a sneak peek.**

"_Hm…for zombies, they fight pretty good."_

"_Ptth! I could have done that."_

"_I am Prince Phobos, Ruler of Meridian, Bane of Candracar and Foe to Nerissa and you are all DEAD MEN!"_

"_They just won't stay down!"_

_BANG!_

"_Whoa! That'll do it."_

"_Taste my blade! Hey, I didn't mean that literally!"_

"_Ral, this one's for you."_

Not very good, I know, but I'm trying.


	9. Chapter 9

_Previously…_

_Two gleaming eyes watched the female pirate enter the house. From the shadows the old wizard appeared. He had finally tracked down his prey and it was only a matter of time before his quarry would be captured. Many shuffling feet accompanied his appearance and his zombie warriors, former patrons of the bar known as the Gizzard's Throat came to his side. Above him, several shadows moved with purpose and the Negotiators made the scene. It was time._

_---_

9-Trapped

What was that movie called? _Night of the Living Dead?_ Hay Lin had forced him to sit down and watch it with her late one Friday night. Forget the zombies and the gory scenes; Caleb was most shocked to discover that the people of Earth used to be black and white! What a dreadful existence that must have been for their ancestors. Anyway, the movie was dull. Caleb found more terrifying things in the outhouses he used back on Meridian. The main character was a complete fool; trusting a band of untrained civilians to work as a cohesive fighting force against a horde of the walking dead. And what was with that ending? You mean he survived all that just to be killed by one of his own? Hay Lin told him that was known as irony. To him, it was an undignified ending to a moderately capable warrior.

And now he finds himself in the same situation as the movie's unfortunate protagonist.

The zombies had them trapped inside the cellar with no means of escape. His father was wounded – no thanks to Phobos! – and the former had drained most of his magic battling the legions of the undead. Since the enemy was in fact, undead, there was no life energy for Phobos to steal and the rebels would be damned if they'd let Phobos take any of their energy. They needed that to fight the zombies!

Caleb and Aldarn were exhausted from all the fighting. The two had done everything in their power to barricade the door leading to the cellar but their makeshift wall was weakening and it was just a matter of time before they broke through. Panting what he hoped were not his last breaths, Caleb turned back to his father who was being tended by Roiya of all people. The pirate's lavish blue coat was covered in gore and there were rips and cuts all over her body but she was otherwise intact. Many a zombie fell victim to Frostbite, that deadly magically enchanted blade of hers and it was she who saved Julian from being eaten alive and had carried him down to the cellar.

Phobos was too busy fighting for his own life to look after Julian. The mage was slumped against the far wall with half his head covered in blood. It wasn't his, though; rather it belonged to the leader of the marauding horde. The two had it out above the rooftop with Phobos gaining an upper hand before the other wizard played a trump card. Now their best weapon lay near useless with a small hole in his stomach. Nothing one of Roiya's potions could take care of. Now Phobos was indebted to her and that in some small way made up for him not helping Julian.

The only ones among them not harmed were Blunk and the ever talented Miss Pitterbee. The woman worked tirelessly on a way of getting them out of there but it would take time for her frail body to conjure up the right invocations from her god, Melenee. Blunk was assigned the task of watching over her while she did that. The passling was armed with a small mace Aldarn had given him. To his credit, Blunk performed splendidly with the weapon, smashing feet, knees, arms and heads when they were low enough to the ground. One thing can be said about the passling is that no one can ever question his resolve.

With the barricade set, Caleb and Aldarn stepped back to gather themselves. That wouldn't hold for long and neither of them believed they could hold out much longer. Their swords grew heavy in their hands and their bodies ached in almost every conceivable muscle. They couldn't even stand up straight anymore. Hunched over as they were, even the slightest wind could blow them over.

"How much time?" Caleb asked in a tired voice.

Pitterbee heard his question and did not answer at first. Her god required her full attention when asking a favor. All her energies had been put in making the connection via her orb so she did not appreciate the distraction. Blunk took her cue and turned to Caleb. "Shh. Cleric lady speaking with god man. No talking."

"Caleb." Aldarn started. The leader could not recall the last time he had seen his best friend so out of it. He looked ready to collapse at any moment. Still he beamed with pride for never had Caleb seen him fight so well. "We won't last long against that wizard."

"But surely Phobos softened him up?" Roiya asked from her place beside Julian. "I saw him strike that wizard with a lightning bolt."

"Besides," Caleb began. "His magic won't work down here. The wards will see to that."

"But wards can be broken, Caleb." Aldarn motioned to their barricade. "Just like that." He grimaced as part of the barrier broke apart and one very mangled hand reached in. "Pardon me." He excused himself, walked over to the hand, and chopped it off with one clean swipe of his sword. Had the creature outside felt any pain it didn't sound it out. Instead, the bloodied stump from whence the arm came continued to bob around at the base of the hole. Its severed arm was far from dead as it wriggled around on the ground. Aldarn stepped on the arm to keep it from moving any further and stabbed at the open palm. Even impaled, the arm did not cease to move.

Aldarn smirked. "Hm…for zombies, they fight pretty good."

"Too bad for us." Roiya said. She had bandaged another of Julian's wounds using a special silk cloth she found in a faraway land. The cloth not only prevented any more blood from seeping out but cauterized the wound without the need of burning or sewing. It also helped ease the pain but that was not Julian's biggest problem. He had been bitten by a _zombie_ afterall.

"His fever's getting worse." Roiya announced.

Julian did indeed look worse for the wear. Sweat beaded off his forehead and his breaths were coming out in fierce gasps.

All present heard the stories. How once bitten by the undead one would become the undead. Caleb could not/would not let that happen to his father. _I'd kill him first._

"Alright, listen up. The door is narrow so they can only come through one at a time. We fight in singular file, changing every now and then to give the others a chance to rest. We must buy as much time for Pitterbee to get us out of here. Phobos, you…Phobos!" The wizard was so busy catching his breath he hadn't even heard Caleb's words. Grabbing him by the collar of his tunic, Caleb glared into his golden eyes. "Wake up! We need to work together here."

"And what would you have me do?!" The mage growled. "Incinerate them with a wave of my magic hand? I've used up all of my powers, oaf! Without them I'm useless."

"No argument there." Aldarn said.

Phobos glared at him but Caleb pulled his attention back toward him. "Look, Phobos, we are not going to die here. There's too much at stake here for us to be eaten like herd beasts. Now if you are unable to fight then the least you can do keep my father alive by keeping him hydrated."

"You demote me to the rank of waterboy?"

"I am your commander, Phobos! Deal with it." He forced him back against the wall. Phobos looked ready to pounce on the rebel leader but held himself back. Caleb would get his. It was only a matter of time. Over these past few months the former prince had learned to embrace patience, one of his past flaws. Now he would wait and bide his time. When the time came, Phobos knew he would get his revenge on the boy for all the humiliations.

"Fine." Phobos went to Julian.

"Roiya. Aldarn. Get ready."

The three warriors prepared themselves for battle. Already the barricade was falling apart and more hands burst through it. They stood in single file with Caleb at the front of the line. Sword in hand he prepared for his toughest fight yet. So much was riding on their success and Caleb wasn't about to let those who counted on him down. They had lost too many people already. One face permeated his thoughts. When the first zombie burst through the door, Caleb raised his sword. "Ral, this one's for you." And then he charged.

---

**Sorry for the short chapter…and the long delay. When I was writing it I couldn't get beyond this point. This ain't writer's block, it's writer's wall. Anyway, I'm planning on continuing this story and hope the "wall" will crumble down soon.**

**Thanks to Nemrut, Strayphoenix, Worker72, Guardian's Light, Phantomwriter, newcomer XVDragon and everyone else for sticking with it as long as they have. Thanks guys.**


	10. Chapter 10

_Previously…_

_The three warriors prepared themselves for battle. Already the barricade was falling apart and more hands burst through it. They stood in single file with Caleb at the front of the line. Sword in hand he prepared for his toughest fight yet. So much was riding on their success and Caleb wasn't about to let those who counted on him down. They had lost too many people already. One face permeated his thoughts. When the first zombie burst through the door, Caleb raised his sword. "Ral, this one's for you." And then he charged._

_---_

10- When Hell Comes A'Knockin'

One Hour ago…

Roiya Hall returned, looking like the proverbial cat that ate the equally proverbial canary. She was more of a tigress, though—too dangerous and cunning to be a domesticated animal. Her long, confident strides ensured Caleb's suspicions that she was up to something. He could feel everyone's distrustful gaze fall upon her when she entered through the door, smirking, her stunning eyes falling on the rebel warrior as she stepped up to him. Behind her, the door closed via the magical energies coursing through it. Caleb could have sworn he heard a lock shut close when that happened, but his attention was quickly drawn elsewhere when Roiya extended her gloved hand. "Deal," she said, awaiting Caleb's clasp.

Being a leader meant you had to be part actor. Always playing a role you did not like but were forced to due to circumstance. Right now that role was playing nice to this succubus. So when Caleb took her hand, he did so with a big smile on his face. "Glad to hear it."

Blunk regarded both of them with inquisitive eyes. He was a simple-minded creature. His mundane mind could not comprehend the complex negotiations he'd just witnessed. As far as he could understand, they here to steal some plans and go home. The guys did not seem to like the pirate lady so much…even after she saved them from the scary wizard man. What's more, she took them to this house where the old magic lady brought Caleb and Phobos (though he didn't much care for that last one) to them with magic, kindly offering them tea and cookies afterward.

The way Blunk saw it, they were all friends. So why did they treat the pirate lady like a bad girl? So much didn't make sense to the passling. Phobos was their enemy and yet here they were, fighting with him against Caleb's mama. Last they trusted Phobos he almost destroyed their home and took over the universe. Blunk may not be too smart but even he knew better than to trust somebody who betrayed you once. The wise passling would not give him a second chance.

This Roiya Hall looked real nice. She fought good too. Really good. Blunk saw her hack and slash at all the bad guys with spooky masks back in that alley with her freezing sword. A girl like that would be great to have in the resistance. If Blunk were Caleb, he would recruit her.

Big People are real confusing, he mused.

Best leave the hard-thinking to them and worry about the small stuff. Afterall, the small things more often than not were the key factors in deciding a victory. Say, Blunk thought, he just had a philosophical notion. Maybe later he would share it with his comrades. Blunk took pride in his little contributions to the team and would not be just a baggage handler or errand boy. His mama would be proud—seeing her little Blunkie Boo fighting to save the universe. And his cousins said he'd never amount to anything.

Phobos brushed by him rather harshly. Normally Blunk was not one to argue with the former ruler and powerful mage of Meridian no mater how rude he was, but after secretly patting his ego he wasn't about to be ignored like he used to be. "Hmph!" he said. That was it, that's all he said. Newfound confidence or not, that was still Phobos and the passling wasn't a fool. One wiggle of his finger and he'd be larvex meat.

Caleb and Roiya were discussing the finer points of their new alliance when Phobos brushed by them as well. He was heading straight for the door when he stopped, his figure as prone as a statue.

"What's up with you?" Aldarn asked before Caleb could.

Phobos' face was one of approaching disaster. He could do more than sense evil. He could sense magic. And right now the outdoors was flooded with it. "We're surrounded."

"Come again?"

The mage turned to Aldarn and for once he wasn't about to berate him. "Prepare yourselves! Our enemy is at the gates!"

"Which one?" Caleb asked and at once all the lights in the house flickered on and off momentarily. Every one who knew how to wield a sword; or a fire bolt, rushed to the nearest window to have a peek. Caleb pulled back the curtain as far as stealth would allow. A score of hungry red eyes glinted in the fading lamplight as it seemed the entire street was falling into darkness. When the lamps died, all he saw was red eyes…and much more of them. Shadows danced above the assembling mob and he figured it was going to be a two-pronged attack: one from the above and the other a direct assault. A battle on two fronts, every soldier's worst nightmare.

"By the Queen." He heard Aldarn mutter from the window beside him. "They're all over the place." His eyes darted up. "And they've brought the Negotiators with them."

"Those aren't Negotiators," Julian said. He was on one knee peering just along the edge. "And the wizard's with them. Just there…to the right of the second lamp." Caleb and Aldarn followed his instructions and spotted a cloaked figure hovering just a few feet above the ground. A strange, green glow permeated his aura and with a mental gesture he urged the mob forward. Slowly, the long-dead patrons of the _Gizzard's Throat_ shambled their way towards the home. Overhead, the Negotiators glided from one rooftop to the next, eventually encircling the house.

"At least we don't have to worry about the wizard," Aldarn said. "The wards will keep him from using his magic."

"In case you haven't noticed the same goes for me." Phobos stepped back from his window, his gaze falling to his hands. Once these appendages commanded terrible powers. He struck down numerous foes with these hands, the fingers used to dance with magics so powerful that even his own mother, the former all-powerful Queen, fell before them. All they were good for now was holding a sword and Phobos had not done that in years. The last person he could recall using one on was his father, the very man who trained him in the art of the blade. Talk about irony.

"Sucks to be you right now," Aldarn said. "So what's our plan, Caleb?"

He thought about it. "Roiya, is there a way we can sneak out of here? Through the mines maybe?"

"Afraid not. While the tunnels run the length of the city there are only a handful of access points and they're all fiercely guarded by the Guild."

"What about a passageway? An escape route? Anything?"

"We could always try the back door," then she shrugged. "Though I'd wager they have that watched too."

"Maybe we fly?" Blunk suggested.

"And be target practice for that wizard out there?" Aldarn shook his head. "Sorry guys but it looks like they have the entire place quarantined. We so much as set one foot out that door and we're dead."

"Funny you should say that." The lady pirate said with regards to the mob outside. "Tell me, Julian; do some those fellows look familiar to you?"

Caleb's father looked outside and after focusing his eyes he caught on to Roiya's discovery. "Zombies?"

"What?!" Both Caleb and Aldarn asked incredulously.

"They are the living dead. That man right there was the bartender at the pub. His movements are irregular. Either he's under some kind of mind control,"

"Or his mind is no longer a factor," Roiya finished. "And since the Negotiators we fought earlier were anything but mortal, it's a safe assumption these men are of the non-living variety as well." Her hand gently made its way down to _Frostbite_. "It's been a while since I've crossed swords with a walking corpse. Not good fighters but when it comes to perseverance you couldn't ask for better. Once on this island, I came face to face with an army of golems who had—"

"Roiya," Julian called to her. "We—don't—care."

She grimaced. "And you used to be such the conversationalist."

"Where's Miss Pitterbee? She has to know of a way out of here?" As if on cue to Caleb's question, the portly old woman came wobbling in holding a tray of pastries including more of those cookies Blunk was so crazy over. "My. You all look so perturbed. Is there something bothering you?"

"Miss Pitterbee, the house is surrounded by…" he looked as his father, not really believing it himself. Julian gave him a curt nod and Caleb went on, "Zombies. I know it sounds crazy but,"

"Oh then the Necromancer must be here?"

"Excuse me?"

The woman laughed, sounding like a tea kettle whistling, placing the tray on the nearby dining room table. "The Necromancer. He's quite famous around these parts."

Roiya Hall stepped toward Pitterbee with a bemused face. "How come I've never heard of him?"

"Was before your time, I would reckon. Back when Limen was just a shanty outpost on the fringes of the frontier, he used to be our most famous resident. Could bring the dead back to life, he could. He was feared by many but we always managed to get along, so long as we stayed clear of each other's business. That's what's wrong with young people these days. Always sticking their noses where they don't belong." She sat herself down on her rocking chair and in true cliché form began knitting. Where the needles and cloth came from the ensemble had no idea but she went on talking as if it was normal to speak casually while the host of the undead lumbered outside your door. "People value their privacy. Why if I went about butting into your lives you'd be downright ticked, now wouldn't you? Oh my. So much has changed. No respect anymore."

Julian was shaking his head. "No this can't be right. Limen has been around for over eight hundred years. The time period you're talking about goes as far back as the second monarchy. To have lived that far back you'd have to be," he stopped himself.

"Be what, deary?"

"Well…if you'll excuse my bluntness ma'am, old."

"Old?" her eyes, muddled behind the mass of flesh that was her brow, furrowed. First he thought she would berate him for calling her that. Women, regardless of what realm they hail from, hate being told they're old. But then she smiled, "Yes. I have been around for quite some time. Seen many things, these tired eyes."

The lady pirate bent her knee as she lowered herself to more or less Pitterbee's level. She looked at the old woman like she never had before, suddenly wanting nothing more than to sit and have a nice, long chat. "There is much you've yet to tell me, Miss Pitterbee. And so much more I can learn. But I'm curious. How much do you really know about this city?"

"More than I'd like. But less than you think I do."

"You speak in riddles."

"I love riddles." She giggled happily. "Do you know the one about the songbird and,"

"Ahem!" Phobos was the only person uninterested in the woman's back-story. "Sorry to interrupt but need I remind you buffoons that there's an army of corpses gathering at our very door? Should we not attend to that first before we take refuge in the old woman's fairytales?"

"You're right, Phobos. For once." Caleb said. "Miss Pitterbee. You said you knew this Necromancer. Is it possible you can talk to him? Can you maybe convince him to cease his attack?"

Phobos chipped in. "Oh wonderful idea, boy hero. While you're at it, why don't you have the hag ask the Guild to hand over the plans and have us escorted out of the city? Why even stop there? I'm sure she'd able to convince your mother to cease her plans for universal conquest, give me back my scepter, and restore your Queen to the throne with but a kind word. _Tra-la-la!_" He fancy-stepped around the living room.

"Please ignore the prancing magician." Caleb said to Pitterbee. "He gets this way when I don't take him for a walk. Now how about it?"

Pitterbee lifted her heavy gaze to the warrior. "Sorry, son. As I said, the Necromancer left me alone so long as I left him alone. He was not one you would want to cross. Even in my prime, with all my closest colleagues and friends, we always gave him a wide berth." She shook her head. "I'm afraid he doesn't like me very much."

"Then is there a way out of here? Some way we can escape this house without being seen?"

"The tunnels!" Aldarn exclaimed. "She used magic to bring you and the wizard here before. Maybe she can do the same and transport us back."

"Teleporting within tunnels is dangerous work, sweetie. If you're not careful you can appear inside the rock which is usually the case. Instant death. I was able to save your friends because they were in a wide enough cavern that I was able to pick them out from all the rubble."

"Then can't you take us to where you last had our companions?"

Phobos stopped "prancing" and immediately protested. "I refuse to return to that worm-infested cave once again. The answer is no."

Pitterbee laughed. "That's good because I can't. My power comes from my god. In order to take us away from here I'd need to beseech his good will. For every thing I ask of him he asks double of me. It's the price you pay for a deity's help. Saving the two of you took a heavy toll on me."

"Then saving all of us might kill you." Julian stated.

"We can leave Phobos." Aldarn turned to him. "You don't mind staying, right?"

Phobos gave the humanoid a gesture from Earth that required the use of only one finger.

"Oh that's mature."

Pitterbee sighed. "Very well. I will beseech Melennee. But I will first need time to meditate…in silence." With startling vigor she hoisted herself from her chair. "Now where is my orb?" She asked and began looking around. "See here…Blunk, is it? Would you help me find my orb?"

Blunk turned to Caleb who said, "Go with her Blunk. And stay with her. Keep her out of harm's way."

Roiya spoke up. "There's a cellar. It's well-fortified and doesn't have any windows. She'll be safe there."

"Fine. You get her and Blunk down there as soon as they find the orb. The rest of us will try to barricade this place as best we can."

As Roiya left the room, Caleb regarded Phobos. "Know how to use a sword?"

"Since before you were born."

"Give him something to fight with," he said to no one in particular and moved toward the nearest window.

Aldarn stepped up to Phobos, removed a knife from his belt, and handed it to the mage who looked at him baffled. "What is this?"

"It's a hunting knife. Pointy end goes into the other guy."

"I demand you give me a sword this instant!"

"Don't have extra."

"You impudent little,"

"Play nice you two," Julian said on his way to join his son by the window.

Phobos raised the knife to Julian and said, "What am I supposed to do with this? At best I'll be able to tickle the zombies before they overrun me."

"Then at least both sides will benefit from this fight."

Phobos' eyes glared so much that they almost glowed.

At the window, Julian peered outside with Caleb. "What are they waiting for?"

"Probably for everyone to be in place before they attack. I wouldn't want my prey to have any chance of escape or make it possible for them to receive aid." He looked up. "No doubt those Negotiators have this whole place covered from top to bottom. When the zombies attack they'll pick out anyone that tries to make a run for it."

"Though we likely won't get that chance." His eyes found the wizard: a glowing green mass of devilish magic. "He's got this whole thing figured out. Makes me wonder what stake he has on us."

"Maybe we've done what Pitterbee said, and stuck our noses where they don't belong."

"Maybe." Julian then smiled. "But I'd rather think it's because we're so popular nowadays."

"Not like you to be so optimistic during times like this, dad."

"These are strange times, son," Julian said and then turned back to Phobos who was still arguing with Aldarn over the acquisition of a better weapon. "Strange times indeed.

---

When the attack finally came, Phobos was there to meet it.

Sort of.

He actually pointed out to the voracious zombie that came crashing through the window. Obviously their makeshift barricades proved futile in the event of a living projectile thrown headfirst into solid glass. The former man's head was twisted at a horrid angle, leaving no question that he had to be dead if he managed to get back on his feet. It was jarred to his left, his tongue, green and full of puss, hung dryly out of his mouth. He held in his hand a piece of wood which looked to have come from a stool. His attire hinted at a merchantman and while he was dead he held the stick like he knew how to use it. It has been said that zombies retain some notion of their past lives and that was the funny part. A couple of coins dropped from his pelt when he pulled himself back up. Upon seeing this, the dead merchant bent low to pick up the coins and place them, securely this time, in his other pocket.

That brief action left him exposed to a direct assault by Phobos. The prince, however, looked on in disbelief. No honor code held him at bay from striking a man—dead or otherwise—while he wasn't looking. He just did not want to sully his hands with grunts work. So he did the next best thing. "Julian," He called. The merchant had finally reoriented himself and was closing in. Phobos pointed. "Zombie."

Julian was just readying himself for a tango with another zombie who'd just come spiraling through another window when he heard Phobos. "What?" He asked without looking back.

"I said zombie." Phobos casually turned and went over to the last remaining chair not used for a barricade. It was sitting in the kitchen and the prince lounged himself there, crossing his legs.

Julian turned to Phobos. "What are you doing?"

"Helping." He pointed. The zombie shuffled after Phobos but with the prince out of his reach it turned toward the nearest available target which was Julian. A swing of his weapon hand clipped Julian lightly on his head though he managed to move back far away just to avoid a direct blow…and expose his back to the zombie who he was just facing a moment before. "Behind you," Phobos said.

Julian quarter-turned, parrying a blow from this zombie—who had been holding a curved sword—and kicked out, striking it square in the groin. The undead showed no hint of pain. It simply shrugged off the blow and went in at Julian with hunger in its eyes.

"Don't forget him," Phobos referred to the first zombie.

Julian ducked another blow from the baton and swept that zombie off its feet. With a quick turn he impaled the other one through the stomach as it hoisted the sword for a downward slash. A blade that thin and small was best used for cutting and the way it was wielded told Julian that this man in life had no concept of the proper form of combat.

But even with Julian's sword in his gut, the sword came down anyway. Julian brought up the pommel of his weapon to block and there was a brief spark as the two met. He could hear the other zombies shuffling to its feet. "Phobos!' Julian cried. "Get off your pompous ass and help!"

"I refuse to lend a hand until I am given a proper blade." He looked over his fingernails. "Until then, I am just a spectator."

"When this is over I am going to kill you." Julian shoved the zombie away with a shoulder butt and looked up just as two more flew in. They landed at awkward angles, bones cracking and limbs twisting in the wrong places, but they slowly got back up. Julian held his sword up in a fighting stance. Four opponents were no big deal to him. He was used to being outnumbered and surrounded. What really sucked about the situation was that the bad guys did not stay down; would not stay down; would only keep coming until he was dead.

---

At the other end of the house, Caleb and Aldarn faced a different kind of assault. They were like masked phantoms, seeping through the cracks and crevices of every portal and materializing before their very eyes. Caleb neatly decapitated one of the Negotiators by the time it fixed itself back on the material plane. The head rolled around along the ground until it came to a halt at Aldarn's feet. As if on instinct that came with years kicking around a ball when not planning raids against Phobos, he booted the head in one powerful motion, having it smack against the back door. Two other Negotiators came into view at just that time. They ignored their headless companion and came right for the rebel warriors.

As back in the alley, the combined efforts of skilled fighters proved too much for either assassin and they both wound up on the floor carved up or with ugly gashes on their exterior.

"These guys are nothing." Aldarn regarded his friend. "Caleb, go see if the others need your help up front. I can handle things back here."

"You want me to just leave you?"

"Lurdens fight better than these chumps. Look it's a narrow space; easy for one man to defend let alone two. I'll watch your back while you focus your attention to where the real fight is. Sides, you trust leaving your father's well-being in the hands of a pirate and an ousted dictator?"

Good point, Caleb thought. Though the thought of leaving his best friend fending for himself did not sit well with him. All it would take was one lucky shot or hastily undertaken maneuver and Aldarn could be hurt. There would be no one to help him. Granted the house wasn't that big to begin with but with all the noise and with intensity of the battle growing by the second it would be like leaving Aldarn on the other side of a battlefield with no support. But this position needed to be covered and the heavy fighting would be up front. No doubt the Necromancer was just testing their defenses to check for weaknesses. Should his father and the rest be overrun there'd be no stopping them.

"I'll be right back," Caleb said just as another Negotiator was seeping through the cracks. "Worse comes to worse I'll send Phobos back here. I doubt he's doing much good anyway."

"Phobos watching my back? Why not just open the door and toss me to the wolves," Aldarn said though Caleb was already gone. The new intruder unsheathed its blades and got into a fighting stance. This one came up and ready with not one but two shortswords ready for action. Aldarn raised his. There was a brief scuffle before that assassin went down—the neck split open—the head hanging to one side.

"This keeps up and pretty soon I'll be bored."

---

Blunk cringed at the sound of something heavy—probably a body—slamming onto the floor above him. He shuddered to think that up there his friends were fighting a fierce battle against an undead foe and here he was nice and safe with an old lady trying to communicate with her invisible god. Passlings never had much need for deities. They were a race of realists. They believed in what you can see or hear. Of course they believed in magic… you can _see_ magic.

But his kind were not ones to offer prayers to gods or spirits. Rather, passlings believed in an even greater force: luck. Luck it seemed was the driving force behind their entire existence. Blunk's people were small, unfit for combat let alone self-defense, and weren't exactly the brightest bunch out there. Oh they were cunning and understood better than anyone else alive that to run was the best way to save oneself from danger…that, and not putting oneself in a position where they would have to face danger in the first place. They were a cautious lot, always remaining out of sight and preferring to let the big people do all the work while they reaped the benefits.

Some would call them cowards. They preferred survivors. Passlings knew the one key element to survival was luck. How else could such a scrawny race like them last this long in a world where practically everything else could kill or eat you on a whim?

Among his people, Blunk was one of the luckiest. One need only look at his record of service to the rebellion and at the countless alien worlds he'd visited to see that this passling was indeed reeking of it—and anyone would tell ya, Blunk really reeks. So while he said no prayers or offered no sacrifices, Blunk would always look around himself, at the trees, the rocks, the sky…and solemnly tip his head to whatever had seen him through all these years.

He kept with him a small metal mace hanging beneath his dirty traveling cloak. It was crafted by Aketon, Aldarn's daddy. Despite its blunt shape, the mace was actually quite light and perfect for the passling's little arm. While its reach was short it provided for great maneuverability and could be used in a variety of close-range combat situations. And anything on the receiving end of that mace would definitely regret getting anywhere near this passling.

Blunk found he was grabbing hold of that mace right now. There was a part of him that went against his very nature that told him to leave the safety of the cellar and join in the fight. Like hell! Blunk was no warrior. There was a time during the final battle with Phobos where he openly admitted that he was but the guardians were around back then, and to be fair Cedric had his back turned. His heart, his little passling heart, beat strong. There was a well of pride there that went with knowing he fought alongside the best and survived. It went against everything he had been raised to believe in and warred with the instincts of his heritage that warned him to stay clear of trouble at all times.

But Blunk had grown quite used to getting out of trouble as he did getting in. So to whom should he lend his ear to? His heart? His instinct?

Perhaps it should be the old lady since right now she was trying to get his attention.

"Pardon me, deary," she began, "You mind telling your friends to keep it down. It's rather difficult to consult Melenee with all that racket going on upstairs."

Even Blunk was taken aback by the request. "Uh…you mean…go up?" It seemed his instinct won out and the warrior drumming in his chest had turned into a child playing with a cardboard box. "Caleb said Blunk should stay with you."

"I'm as safe down here as I am anywhere." Pitterbee returned to her consultation with her god as her fingers danced around the orb. "The wards are strongest here, by the way."

Blunk humphed. "Too bad wards no stop bad guys."

"They always protected me before."

"Not against zombies."

Blunk looked at her quizidly. Before he could ask a question all the noise above his head had ceased. There was a minor shuffling of footprints and then silence. Then he heard voices. "Fighting…stopped?" He asked out loud though did not directly at Miss Pitterbee.

"There," she said with a smile slouching its way across her fat face.

"There, huh?"

The old woman looked at him and smiled. "I think my god has just given his approval."

---

"They've fallen back," Roiya said. Taking a brief respite, the pirate laid against a wooden beam taking sharp breaths. She was only winded, not exhausted. Her blade, _Frostbite_, had left a shamble of frozen parts along the floor—what was left of her zombie opponents. One of them managed a lucky shot, and toppled her hat off her head. She sliced that one in half before picking up her hat, dusting it, and putting it back where it belonged. What's the use of being a dashing pirate if one did not have the look?

Roiya had fought in the living room, using the space to take full advantage of her speed. Not too far away stood Julian who had been leaning on his sword. He too was winded though in his defense his enemies were not frozen solid when hit by his blade so he had to work a little harder to bring his foes down for good. Hacked body parts lay before and around Julian. Some of those parts, namely the hands and fingers, were still moving. A severed leg kicked out at the knee while a zombie's face, or rather half of it, blinked over in Julian's direction. Its slimy tongue licked in and out of its mouth in a futile attempt to move the head toward him. Apparently the head intended to continue the fight. The whole thing would be laugh-out-loud funny in any other circumstance.

Caleb entered the room where he had been guarding the hallway that led to the front door. The youth did not look tired in the least. His clothes were covered in gore and he did not bother to wipe it as he took stock of the situation.

"Everyone okay?"

"I'm okay," Julian said and with a deep breath stood back up.

Roiya nodded.

"A splendid performance," Phobos commented while taking a bite out of one of Pitterbee's cookies. "Though I must say Miss Pitterbee will find it an awful mess to clean all this up. Good thing we're not staying here for much longer."

Julian turned on him. "Phobos!"

"I'm not deaf."

Had it not been for years of discipline, Julian would have gone over there and chopped his head off. Instead he glared and pointed his sword at the former prince. "You did nothing while the rest of us risked our lives in this defense."

"And what are we defending, Julian? This house? These cookies? Though they are rather good. Mm (Licking his fingers). I don't why I ever agreed to come on this damned mission in the first place."

"You came because I ordered you to." Caleb turned and said.

"You're skilled at giving orders. But not so much for accomplishing missions."

"Meaning?"

The mage stood up from his chair, making strides toward Caleb. In a sword fight there would be no question who the victor would be so it was safe to conclude that Phobos had no intention on instigating a fight. What he did have, though, was words and they can be as sharp as any blade.

"I think it's time we cut our losses and retreat. No closer are we to completing this mission now than when we first arrived. Since then, we've trudged through some dejected swamp, muddled our way through the city sewers, have been led into a trap, chased by pirates, nearly been eaten by worms and now face down an undead army with a powerful necromancer. I say Fate itself has conspired against our winning and any man with half a brain would come to the conclusion that the mission is lost and go home." Phobos stopped just short of meeting Caleb face to face. "It takes a strong man to admit when he is defeated. Show us you have the strength to admit defeat."

"That's pretty funny coming from a man who never knew when to call it quits. Didn't you try to take over the universe not once but twice?"

"That was different," Phobos said in a matter of fact tone. "I actually had a chance of success. With my mother out of the way there was no one to stop me save my baby sister and the second time around I had the scepter and outwitted Nerissa. Hence, my attempts at complete universal domination stood a far greater chance at succeeding than this mission of yours."

"Good," Caleb said. "That means we actually have a chance at winning this war with you on our side. I say this fight isn't over yet." Caleb turned to address his father and Roiya while Phobos began to contemplate what he had just heard. _Did he just pay me a compliment?_ The notion unsettled the former prince more than anything the rebel warrior had told him in previous exchanges; he could not help feeling a strange sensation at the back of his mind. Was it…appreciation? Of course not! Still, it actually felt kind of—_nice—_to hear him say that. Not since Queen Weira and Jaden were any kind words spoken to Phobos.

How strange…

A loud stumble brought all eyes on Blunk who had unceremoniously made his entrance. The passling picked himself up and, checking again to make sure the coast was clear—of zombies—went straight to Caleb.

"Blunk! You're supposed to be looking after Miss Pitterbee."

"Old lady say god man talking to her now. She say that he say he help us leave."

"There's a bit of good news," Roiya said as she checked the edge of _Frostbite_ for any blemishes. The blade was as flawless as ice.

"Something there's not enough of lately. Caleb, let's get going."

"Wait a minute, dad." Caleb stopped his father from heading for the cellar. An idea came to mind. "Not just yet."

"Caleb, those are zombies out there. Even we can't hold them off forever."

"Not to mention that Necromancer fellow," Roiya said. "Still bugs me that I've never heard of him before."

"And we still need to steal those plans from the Guild. Best we don't attract any more attention than we already have."

"I think we should do just the opposite." Caleb smiled.

"Here we go." Phobos rolled his eyes.

"It's time we switched tactics. Limen is a city where subtle wars are fought not in the open but in back alleys and dark corners. These forces like to do things in secret. So far only the Guild knows of our intentions and while I don't know who this Necromancer guy is working for you can bet his employers don't want word of Nerissa's plans becoming common knowledge either. If it did, the whole city will be up in arms over obtaining those plans and chaos will take over."

"You want to plunge the city into all-out war?" Roiya asked a bit unnerved. "How?"

"By making some noise." He turned to Phobos. "Phobos, you love attention right? Then it's time the citizens of Limen knew you were here."

"What exactly do you want me to do?"

"Simple," Caleb mused. "Be yourself."

It took a moment before the smile on Caleb's face was mimicked by Phobos. "I can do that."

---

The City Guard, a tool of the Lords of Limen, was not known for its adherence to the law. Many of the men who worked there were as corrupt as the criminals they supposedly imprisoned behind the penitentiary's brooding walls. The black towers jutted out of the prison like talons curved ever so slightly as to resemble a closing hand: a foreshadowing of the horrors that lay deep within.

Oddly enough the prison also served as the Guard's headquarters. Their previous establishment had been destroyed a raid by corsairs many years prior and with a lack of funds to rebuild they moved here, the one place more foreboding than any in all of Limen.

Two guards, both humanoid in appearance but with thick fur running down their exposed arms, stood guard on the highest tower. A large tooth protruded from one's mouth. This guard had a ring sticking through his nose which was almost pig-like. He was the larger of the two with bulging muscles and a heavy step, made more resounding by the addition of heavy platted armor. The armor was dirty, hadn't been cleaned in ages, but the Guard was known for its efficiency—not its cleanliness.

The other guard looked more human though a small, rat-like tail snaked from behind his back. He was barefoot. His toenails were long and yellow. Beady yellow eyes peered from behind his faceplate, eyes that could see far into the night.

There was a great flash that nearly blinded him.

"What the!!!" the humanoid with the rat's tail screamed as he dropped his halberd and covered eyes, frantically trying to protect them from sudden illumination. His comrade, whose eyes were less vulnerable, peered through the dying light to triangulate its source. The light was a mixture of green and purple made all the more brilliant by becoming a beam which shot upward into the sky before bursting into a thousand pieces. An incredible fireworks display!

"Sound the bell!" The large guard ordered his smaller companion.

"Don't need to," he answered back while squinting. "No way anyone could miss that. The whole city's awake now."

The big guard grabbed his comrade by the throat and hoisted him off his feet. "I said, sound the bell!" He threw him against the wall. "Never disobey my orders!"

"R-Right." The small guard said and disappeared into the tower. Moments later, the warning bell sounded out followed by a dozen more in short intervals. If anyone was not waken up by the light show, and there were few who were, they were wide awake now.

The guard fidgeted in his place. "Trouble brewing. About damn time!"

---

A lone figure stepped out of the once quiet home of Miss Pitterbee. Phobos, the former prince of Meridian, permeated with raw power as he left the confines of the warded home. Before him stood a host of zombies, scores of them—with their leader the Necromancer at the front.

The mage stared down the Necromancer. He knew that the undead wizard was the one he had to defeat. The rest were all just fodder to be cast aside. He didn't even care for the Negotiators lined around above him. Even when one threw a pair of needle-sharp knifes his way they bounced harmlessly off his magically created barrier. With a twitch of his eyebrow, Phobos turned said assassin into a pile of ash thanks to a magically induced fire spell. Three more Negotiators followed suit and the rest backed off from sight. It wasn't fear that drove them. The Necromancer sent out a mental signal that called them to fall back. He didn't want to lose his assets.

"A wizard," the Necromancer said in an echoing voice that was ancient and powerful.

"A corpse," Phobos shot back—with a fireball. The fireball vanished upon contact with his own magic barrier and the Necromancer was unphased. Phobos cocked his neck to his left. "Is that all?"

"Of course not." The Necromancer powered up; his body covered in a green glow.

Phobos followed suit and purple light emanated from his own body. Back in the house, Caleb and company watched as the two magic users prepared for a duel. Each unleashed a terrible energy beam which collided midway. The beams built up to such an intensity that they were forced to cover their eyes. Once the energy reached its peak, the combined masses blew up; creating a light show that could be seen for miles. The blast filled the night air with the aura of a small sun and sprinkled down to the earth below.

"Impressive," said the Necromancer.

"Not so much." Phobos never did respect his foes.

"I'll have to do my best then." The Necromancer raised himself above the ground. "Perhaps a wizard's duel?"

"As you wish."

Both combatants flew up about twenty feet. Phobos eyed the zombies on the street, the Negotiators on the roofs and the various residents of the local neighborhood who ran outside to see what the hell all the commotion was.

"I am known as the Necromancer. My real name is not important save that I shed it when I achieved this perfect form. Are you prepared to face a true master of the Art?"

"Prepared?" Phobos laughed. "You've no idea who I am do you?"

"Pray tell?"

A small audience had gathered. Many of the residents did not even notice the mass of zombies for they were too transfixed by the spectacle above them. Phobos gathered magic into his hands, preparing to do battle with all of his might. This whole day sucked! He was mad! Pissed! If he could not take out his frustrations on Nerissa or Caleb then at least this Necromancer will have to suffice.

"Then allow me to introduce myself." Phobos raised his voice so that all could hear. "I am Prince Phobos, Ruler of Meridian, Bane of Candracar and Foe to Nerissa and you area all DEAD MEN!"

---

**A special thanks to Worker 72 and XV Dragon for inspiring me to write another chapter. Don't be fooled though. I'm still combating Writer's Wall, but I believe I will be able to finish this arc pretty soon. Yeah, I'm doing arcs now. Go figure.**


	11. Chapter 11

_Previously…_

_A small audience had gathered. Many of the residents did not even notice the mass of zombies for they were too transfixed by the spectacle above them. Phobos gathered magic into his hands, preparing to do battle with all of his might. This whole day sucked! He was mad! Pissed! If he could not take out his frustrations on Nerissa or Caleb then at least this Necromancer will have to suffice._

_Then allow me to introduce myself." Phobos raised his voice so that all could hear. "I am Prince Phobos, Ruler of Meridian, Bane of Candracar and Foe to Nerissa and you are all DEAD MEN!"_

--

11- You Wouldn't like him When He's Angry

Phobos was the first to attack. Lightning blazed across the night sky, shattering windows and striking deaf those below. It smashed headfirst into the barrier created by the Necromancer. The lich waited until the powerful attack subsided before lowering his defense. "My turn," He rasped. His bony hands collected an enormous amount of energy which he then fired full-force at Phobos. The former prince raised his hand, palm-first, and deflected the blast up into the sky. It exploded in the air, giving the impression of a miniature sun going nova.

Phobos yawned and covered his mouth. "Pitiful."

The Necromancer raised his staff. His dark magic turned it into a scythe which he then swept through the air. The arc of energy screamed at Phobos who quickly dodged. Far away buildings and towers were cut in half, bringing untold damage to the streets below and incredible woe to those trapped within, or underneath.

His opponent closing in, Phobos created a sword made of pure energy. They clashed in midair. Holding one another at bay, the two combatants fell into a glaring contest. "You know you are truly hideous up close," Phobos said.

"Your taunts are as weak as you are."

"Oh but I'm just getting warmed up." Then Phobos burst into flame, forcing the Necromancer to retreat. "Flame on!" He cried. With a fierce howl, the mage charged at the Necromancer, slicing this way and that with his sword. Each clash sounded like a shriek of thunder. Sparks flew from their weapons, turning the entire neighborhood ablaze.

The people scattered and rushed for cover as best they could. Some tried to save their homes which were already burning while others just fled. At the house of Miss Pitterbee, four rebels, a pirate and the proprietor watched the spectacle with mixed feelings.

"Idiot," Julian said. "He's going to destroy the entire city."

"And that's a bad thing?" Aldarn asked. His smile soon disappeared when he noticed Roiya glaring at him. "Bad timing. Sorry."

The lady pirate let out a deep sigh. "This war is going to destroy everything."

"All wars end in time," Pitterbee said. The portly, little woman let out a small cackle.

"You find this funny, old woman?" Roiya asked defensively.

"I find this familiar. Seems to me that all young people think their differences can be resolved through violence. Such a shame. So much vigor wasted on destruction."

"Sometimes our enemies don't give us a choice," Caleb said.

"I bet that's what they say about you."

"We didn't start this war, but we will finish it."

"You tell her, Caleb."

Roiya glanced between Caleb and Aldarn. "You fools don't get it, do you? Whichever side wins, people will suffer. The citizens of Limen are just as much victims of this war as they are their circumstances. No one ever asks what they want. People without control over their destinies aren't really people at all; they're just fatalities."

"Then why don't they move?" Aldarn asked, receiving a murderous glare from Roiya.

"Did you leave your home when Phobos took over? Or did you stay and fight?"

"I fought for a better tomorrow. What do these people fight for?"

"Survival."

"But is that enough?" Caleb asked silently. A loud blast brought his attention back up. The Necromancer sent several waves of magical disks at Phobos. They buzzed like saws, searing anything they touched. Phobos batted each away with his sword and then swung it in a wide arc, firing a magical blast that leveled an entire street behind the Necromancer as he dodged.

"Caleb," Roiya called for his attention. When she had it she asked, "When is this marvelous plan of yours going to come into play? I'd like to have a city left when this is over."

"How long do you suspect the Guard to respond to this crisis?"

"The Guard? How do they fit into all this?"

"They are the key."

Ocean-blue eyes studied him. She knew Caleb had a plan. The boy was as sharp as his father had been in his youth, but she did not like being kept out of the loop for any reason. Granted she kept things from them but a lady was allowed her secrets – only revealing them to those she deemed worthy. Strange but this young hero had a certain feminine mystique about him.

"Take a look at this," Aldarn announced and all eyes looked out. "Without the boss to give them orders, the zombies are just standing there." He was right. Not one of the undead things moved to attack the house or step aside as fire and debris littered the street. Those who caught fire emitted only a low groan before being consumed. Already a third of their number had done just that.

"How come dead people not move?" Blunk asked.

"Because they're automatons," Julian answered him. "Without constant instruction they are nothing but useless tools."

"Oh…what automatons?"

Julian rolled his eyes. He watched Phobos and the Necromancer battle it out. A loud horn blared in the distance, causing him to avert his gaze. "What's that?"

"The City Guard," Roiya announced. "Right hand of the Barons."

"And our ticket out of here." Before anyone could ask what that meant, Caleb undid the barricade at the door and opened it. He heard his father calling to him but he went on anyway. Outside, the youth brandished his sword and rushed for the nearest zombie. "Die you zombie scum!" In one fell swoop he cut the undead in half. "Who's next?" Another swipe decapitated a second zombie. A third went down, and another, and another, and boy was Caleb going to work on those things.

"His bloodlust knows no bounds," Aldarn said.

"Has your son lost his mind, Julian?"

"I think he knows what he's doing."

"Caleb go all Samurai on bad guys," Blunk began to cheer him on.

"Samurai?" The pirate asked.

"A group of warriors on Earth," Aldarn explained, "who were greatly feared by their enemies."

"Were they that skilled?"

"That…and they were also known to have a death wish."

"Why does that not surprise me?"

--

Caleb had cleaved through a score of foes before the Guard appeared around the corner. Their armored legs shook the ground on which they marched. At least fifty, heavily armed warriors came to an abrupt halt when they saw the battleground. An entire section of the city was burning and residents ran every which way. Their leader, a massive creature of seven feet with fur covering his body and face, glowered as he took in the scene. Lifting up a huge axe, his blood-shot eyes narrowed in on a lone warrior taking on the horde of the undead.

Realizing he was being watched, Caleb lifted his voice for all to hear. "The Guild shall never fall!" He jabbed his sword through a zombie's eye, pulling it out through the chin. "Once we uncover the secret to Nerissa's weapon we shall destroy you all! This city will be ours! You, the Lords, the measly Guard, you'll all cower before us like grass in a storm." Two more creatures went down. "Our will shall not be denied. All hail the Pirate's Guild! Let all who stand against us feel our steel!" One zombie was cut in half at the waist, the upper half falling with a heavy thud.

The lead guardsman bared his teeth. Letting out a monstrous roar, he motioned his men onward. "Bring that boy to me." He commanded and the guards lurched forward. He raised his eyes to where Phobos fought the Necromancer. "And have our wizards bring those two down. Any delay in stopping this and the Lords might take it of our pay. Kill them!"

The City Guard sprung into action.

--

"Why should he have all the fun?" Aldarn said and leaped into battle. "Hooray! For the Guild!" He began to cut his own swath through the zombies. Joining Caleb into the foray, the rebels had decimated half of the horde. Julian watched with a smile on his face. To be young again, he mused.

"They're as reckless as you were," Roiya told him. She had removed _Frostbite_ from the scabbard and sharpened it with a special stone. The blade gleamed with anticipation. It wanted to fight. "I recall you doing the same thing once, in a cave, against a dragon."

"I was foolish."

"You were brave," she said. "And you saved my life."

"That's what I meant."

The pirate scowled. "Fine! If you want to hate me the rest of your life, what little of it remains, then so be it! But listen well, Fallen Knight. I have as much to lose if we fail. Should Nerissa win this war there will be nothing left for any of us. Whatever differences we may have it pales in comparison to the greater struggle again. So I'm a pirate. So I've lied and cheated you and countless others. At least I'm smart enough to know that I cannot do this alone. I've saved your life and in essence your son's by enlisting the aid of Miss Pitterbee. Keep your grievances to yourself from now on, but do not treat me as some common outlaw you can just discard. This is not…"

Something flashed and in an instant, Julian's sword was poised under her throat. How he moved so fast startled even Roiya who was rarely taken in by surprise. She could feel the tip under her throat and felt a part of the skin give from the sharp surface. "Are you going to kill me, Julian?" She asked, regaining from the shock. "Then go ahead and do it. Do what you never had the courage to do before." Her eyes glared into his. "I'm a pirate, Julian. It is my nature to deceive. You should have known better."

"You…are a traitor!"

"I do what I need to survive. You and I weren't that much different when we were surviving in those woods." She went on to reminisce. "Remember how lonely we were? So young and inexperienced. Our comrades died all around us and we could only run. We saved ourselves and you felt guilty for leaving them. Revenge was the only thing that would sate your anguish. So we fought. And we killed. Little by little, we reclaimed what dignity they took from us and we made them pay."

Julian was cold.

"That day, when we went our separate ways, I told you that despite everything that happened, whatever my intentions had been that I truly cared for you, Julian. I would not be the woman I am today had I not met you." Her tone softened. "I owe you more than you realize. I was so angry at the world. I hated everyone and everything. I loved bringing misery to others because I was so miserable myself. I hated being alive. You changed all that. You helped me see that there was still beauty in this world."

"It hasn't been easy but I struggled my whole life since then. I became a pirate. I found a ship and a crew. I sailed the eight seas and traveled to distant lands. I've seen things you won't find in libraries or hear about in stories. I've lived my life…all thanks to you, Julian."

Still nothing.

Roiya looked out the window. She could see Caleb and Aldarn fighting side by side much as she and Julian once did. "He's a wonderful young man. To think in some other life, had things gone differently, that beautiful boy could have been mine."

"You are so full of it I'm amazed you can walk."

But she did not look hurt. Any pain in her heart was from a sense of lost rather than harsh words. "Hate me all you want. I accept it. And…I'm sorry."

Julian flinched for just a moment…but only a moment. "When this is over I never want to see you again."

"I don't think that will be a problem."

"Good." Julian sheathed his sword. "That apology would have meant the world to me years ago, Roiya. But not here. Not now. You're twenty years and a hundred lies too late." He went to join his son on the field of battle.

Roiya waited until he was gone before she allowed the pain in her eyes to show. She felt Miss Pitterbee touch her arm. "Some men carry anger in their hearts for a long time. I don't know what you did to wrong Master Julian or whether you deserve his scorn. What I do know is that deep down you still have feelings for him and he for you." Roiya glanced down at the old woman. Her wrinkly smile met her eyes. "He's a good man. You are a good woman. There is no reason you two cannot work things out."

"He hates me."

"No. He hates himself. He blames himself for whatever happened and has somehow connected that with you."

"I betrayed him."

"Master Julian is not a foolish man. I think he knew. But he fought with you anyway."

"But why?"

Pitterbee shrugged as if it was obvious. "Young love is the most powerful kind. He stayed with you because he loved you as much as you did him."

"But I still betrayed him."

"In what way?"

Roiya could not answer. The memories coming up were ones she didn't want to recall. Pitterbee took this as a sign. "It looks like Master Julian is not the only one pegs you for his shame. How can he forgive you, Roiya Hall, when you have not forgiven yourself?"

She had no answer.

--

"This is no fun at all," Aldarn said. "I mean it's kind of funny; but where's the challenge?"

Stepping back from his latest kill, Caleb said, "You want challenge, Aldarn? You're about to get it. I count two dozen challenges heading our way."

The fire slowed them down somewhat, but the Guard was making leeway toward the rebel warriors. They were a mix of big and small, scaly and hairy, mean and meaner, but all were armed to the teeth and ready to kill. In comparison, Caleb and Aldarn were only lightly armed and wouldn't last very long in a pitched fight. The Guard would no doubt attempt to surround them, using their greater numbers to affect and cutting off any means of escape; not to mention kill any breathing room the boys hoped to have.

"So what now?" Aldarn kicked a zombie in the groan just for kicks. When it showed no pain, he simply stabbed it in the same area. He could not help but smile.

"Now we run," Caleb looked up as his father came running toward them. "Dad, see if you can get Phobos' attention. We're bugging out."

Julian stopped. "We're what?"

"It means were getting out of here," Aldarn explained. "Earth slang. Guardians. You know."

"He's too far up," Julian observed. Even if he wasn't, Julian doubt his voice could carry through all the noise. "How am I supposed to get his attention?"

"I can shoot him," Aldarn suggested. "Anyone got a bow and arrow?"

Caleb "killed" another zombie. "Phobos!" He called. "Down here you moron!"

"Think that'll get his attention?"

Caleb looked around. The Guard was almost upon them. "Gods damn it! Phobos!"

"Need some help?" All heads turned to find Roiya and Miss Pitterbee just standing there. "We have a servant of Melenee with us." She regarded the old woman. "Do you mind?"

"Not at all." Pitterbee touched a finger to her temple and asked her god for aid. Her mind carried up across the burning winds to the duel overhead. _"Phobos, deary, your friends want you to come back now."_

"_Who is this?"_

"_It is Miss Pitterbee. You know. The woman who made those cookies you liked?"_

"_I was being sarcastic. Now if you don't mind I'm in the middle of a most heated exchange."_

"_Come now. You don't want your friends to leave you behind now do you?"_

"_They are NOT my friends. Now get out of my head!"_

"Goodness," Pitterbee said aloud. "What a rude young man. I find it difficult to believe he's found such company among you fine people."

"Lady you don't know the half of it." Aldarn looked. "Here they come!" Two guards leaped for him. Aldarn dodged the first one's attack – a broadsword strike down the middle – and countered with a spinning stab that bounced off his armor. The guard laughed, revealing jagged, yellow teeth. "Lights out boy."

A burning stone fell on his head at that moment. There was a loud clang and a yelp as the guard fell over unconscious. "You said it, not me," He told the out-cold guard. Hopping over the body, Aldarn found the second had already been dispatched by Julian. How he did it was beyond him, but he was master swordsman and that was all the explanation needed. "Retreat?" He asked aloud. Julian nodded.

"Caleb, we have to go."

"Phobos!"

"Leave him," Aldarn said. "He can take care of himself."

"We don't leave a man behind."

"I'm sure the universe will overlook this one exception. I know I would."

Caleb was torn. Sure he hated Phobos but he was still a part of his team. Caleb never willingly abandoned those under his command. His father taught him that. "Dad…"

"I'll go after Phobos."

"What?"

"Go on. I'll catch him." Julian rushed toward the nearest brick house and began to climb. He was surprisingly agile for a man his age and impressed both youths. Once up top, he dispatched a Negotiator who was just mulling about for lack of orders and tried to find the next highest point.

"That's some dad you have there, Caleb."

"I know. Let's go."

--

Creating a magical shield, Phobos withstood a punishing barrage of energy bolts from the Necromancer. "You're weakening," he said. "Soon I will add you to my army of the damned."

"What would you know about being damned?" Phobos spat back. Reaching out, he fired his own energy blast. "I was destined to rule an entire world, but the birth of my baby sister put an end to that. I was cast aside like some undesirable pet; forced to watch as the world showered that brat with praise. I who spent my entire youth giving to the people had become obsolete. I took by force what was rightfully mine. I fought and conquered. Then I was defeated and placed in prison and left to rot. I saw my chance to reclaim my birthright only to have it snatched away again! No! You have no idea what damned truly is."

"Silence, boy. You are addressing the Necromancer."

"Address this!" Phobos shot a fireball at the lich before adding ice into the mix. Ten icicles formed into missiles and streamed toward the Necromancer – making contact with a marvelous explosion. When the smoke subsided, the barrier kept the lich safe. "Damn you!"

The lich laughed but that stopped when several blasts came from below. Both looked down to see several wizards trying to shoot them down. "And who are these insects?" Phobos asked.

"New recruits." The Necromancer wriggled his fingers. Licks of flame from the fire that raged around them came to life. The fire creatures attacked the wizards and the guards protecting them. One of them created a wall of water between he and the fire beasts and tried to run. It was then that a Negotiator came to life upon hearing its master's command. The undead assassin chased the wizard down and implanted a knife in his back. The wizard struggled for a moment but eventually stopped.

"Now rise." At his command, both the Negotiator and the now dead wizard stood up. They were both under his command. More bodies sprang to life as guards and wizards became part of his army. The civilians who had been killed by debris or burned alive suddenly stalked out of the rubble and flame. In an instant, the Necromancer's army had just doubled.

"How droll." Phobos surrounded himself with electricity. "I'll be they're not much of a force with you out of the picture so why don't I just turn you into a negative?"

"Phobos!" Julian called. He was hanging from a precariously leaning tower just a few feet from where he flew. "We're about to leave. Get back to the house."

"So long as this fool keeps bringing the dead back to life we'll be endlessly hounded by that horde. I plan to put him out of our misery."

"Forget him! Get going now!"

"When I'm good and ready!" Phobos fired off tendrils of lightning that snaked toward his enemy like eels. The tendrils slashed and demolished but the Necromancer dodged them all. The lich raised his palm and fired a green energy ball at Phobos. The ex-prince batted it away with his hand; right into a certain tower.

"Phobos!" Julian cried. Seeing as how the tower was crumbling, Julian made a desperate leap to a nearby rooftop where he barely managed to coil his fingers around a shutter. Try as he might, he could not pull himself up and the shutter eventually gave way under his weight. Julian scratched his fingers reaching for anything to slow his fall and only just grabbed a windowsill. Hanging there, the warrior could feel his strength waning. "Damn you, Phobos!"

He heard something land above him. A Negotiator leered down at him behind a faceless mask. Below, Julian could see several zombies staring hungrily at him. Their hands reached for his legs even though he was still several feet above them. "Maybe Aldarn was right. We should have left him behind."

The Negotiator grabbed a loose roof tile and prepared to crush Julian. Thinking fast, Julian reached into his belt, removed a small dagger and threw it as fast as he could. The knife disappeared into the face of the assassin and it crumbled to the street, crushing two zombies along the way. It wasn't dead, but it was a good minute before it stood up again.

Meanwhile, Julian could feel himself slipping.

"Pathetic," came Phobos' voice. Julian looked over his shoulder to find him floating just behind, a look of utter annoyance in his voice. With surprising strength, Phobos lifted Julian with one hand and floated away from the zombies. "Were it not that I need that boy of yours I'd leave you right here and now."

"Yeah. It sucks being a part of a team doesn't it?"

Grumbling, Phobos began to fly in the direction of the house when the Necromancer appeared before them. "Leaving so soon?"

"Curfew and all. Now if you'll excuse us."

The lich directed a blast which Phobos dodged. Julian cringed when he felt the heat on that one. Dangling by Phobos' arm, the zombies followed on the street like puppies reaching up for a snack. One of the more nimble ones managed to leap and take a snap at his boots. Julian really hated this city.

The lich created a dome around his body to protect from the eventual counterattack.

"I can't fight him and baby-sit you at the same time."

"Then improvise."

"Try any spell you like," began the lich. "All magic attacks will be reflected by my barrier. You don't stand a chance."

"Magic attacks?" Phobos repeated. A smile crept to his face. He eyed Julian.

"Phobos what are youuuuuuuuAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!" He threw Julian like a missile. The Necromancer was caught off guard and couldn't react fast enough as Julian came hurdling through the barrier and crashing into him. Both spiraled through the air though and where the Necromancer could still float, Julian could not, and he bounced off a wall and came crashing to the street. Struggling to his knees, the warrior growled through grit teeth, "I take it back. I hate Phobos a thousand times more!!"

As the lich struggled to reorient himself, Phobos materialized in front of him with gathered lighting in his hand. "Game." He clawed at him, tearing apart half his face, splattering his own with blood. "Set." At close range, Phobos fired a blast right into his chest, sending the Necromancer flying back. He crashed of all places onto the roof of Pitterbee's house. Phobos moved in, stood over the gravely wounded lich, and created a sword. "Match!" He jabbed it right into his heart. "And I win."

"Not…quite."

"Wha…" Phobos cried before he was cut off. Blood poured from his mouth and he screamed when he felt something stab him in the back. Looking down now he saw a large, black thorn protruding from his chest. He was heaved off his feet and held in the air. As it stood, a long scorpion tail slithered from beneath the lich's robes and had struck Phobos in the back. Now mortally wounded, the mage felt his life slowly leaving his body. "C-Can't…b-b-be."

"I am the lord of the undead, you fool. I-HAVE-NO-HEART!" He threw Phobos off the roof. While victorious, the Necromancer had to admit that the mage put up a very good fight. It would take time for his body to recover from the wounds inflicted upon him. As his trail receded, he struggled to his feet. "My children, kill them all! We shall turn this entire city into our Necropolis!"

--

Limping, Julian made his way over to the house – the trek made all the more precarious thanks to the falling infrastructure. "When I get my hands on that pompous usurper I'm going to strangle him with my bare hands." He winced a bit. Something definitely broke upon impact. Only the pleasant thoughts of his hands around a certain wizard's neck gave him the strength to continue.

All around him, the City Guard was locked into mortal combat with the undead…and losing. For every zombie a guard took down, three took its place. Sure they had armor and weapons, but zombies never got tired, never hurt, never stopped. They just kept coming like on onrushing wave and swarmed the guards one by one. Those few left standing were fighting for their lives, only to realize the true horror as their former comrades got back up to fight them.

Julian was almost to the house when he saw something fall from the roof. Phobos, a large hole in his stomach, crashed onto the cobble street. He was coughing blood. "Phobos!"

"My children, kill them all! We shall turn this entire city into our Necropolis!" He heard the Necromancer shout.

With all the Guard finally dead and rising to join them, every single head turned to Julian and a heavily bleeding Phobos. Phobos was laying in front of the house while Julian was at the next house over. As one, they all began to converge on them.

"Caleb!" Julian shouted. "Help!"

The door opened immediately and it was Roiya who ran out. "Julian! Oof!" She stumbled over Phobos and rolled as she hit the ground. Looking back, she gasped. "Phobos!"

"Urgh…" He said weakly. The blood was pouring out of him and half his face was caked in the blood of his enemy. Black blood.

Caleb appeared just then. His eyes went first to Phobos and then his father. "Dad!"

"Dying…here…" Phobos rasped.

"No you're not." Reaching into her coat, Roiya pulled out a blue flask and handed it to Caleb. "Give him this. It will close the wound. I'll get your father."

Caleb wanted the roles to be reversed but seeing as how Roiya was already on her way, he popped open the flask and grabbed Phobos' head. "Drink this." He forced the liquid into his mouth, forcefully. Phobos struggled. "Do it!" After a few seconds the potion's magic kicked in. His restorative cells went on overdrive as they sealed the hole. Muscle and matter fleshed together and were covered by skin. The potion did the trick and Phobos was alive – but out of commission.

"Aldarn! Bring Phobos downstairs!" He took out his sword and decapitated a zombie who came too close. "Aldarn!"

"Right here!" His friend was at the door in an instant, grabbing Phobos by the legs.

He groaned as his head hit every curb and bump. "I'm still awake, you fool!"

An evil smile curved along Aldarn's face. "Just wait until we hit the stairs." They disappeared inside.

Caleb rushed to where Roiya was fighting off a gang of zombies. Julian could barely walk let alone help and he was already on the floor where a Negotiator pinned him. "Get away from him!" Like an angry angel, Caleb plowed through the horde to aid them both. His sword cut a swatch of gore all around him until there was a path. Roiya's sword turned one animated corpse after another into shattered ice, but she was taking some hits too. Several zombies still wielded weapons and they parried and exchanged blows with Roiya as they closed in. Already Caleb could see blood where the swords hit home. Her clothing was ruined and she grew weaker with each strike. Roiya Hall was an exceptional fighter – but there was just too many of them.

"Roiya! My father!"

"On it," She replied through grit teeth. The pirate shattered a frozen statue that had once been a guard, and leaped to where Julian was embattled with the Negotiator. The assassin never knew what hit it as _Frostbite_ turned it into shards of broken ice. The pieces fell on Julian but he was otherwise okay. Kneeling down, the pirate looked him over. "You all right, Master Julian?"

"I'll live." His voice still ripe with contempt for her.

"Well that's a fine you're welcome." She offered to help him up and she appeared to at least give her that much when he was suddenly pulled away. A zombie had snuck up on them and had grabbed Julian by the leg, dragging him toward its awaiting fellows. "Julian!" She gave chase. Caleb was right behind her. Julian hacked away with his sword but he couldn't reach the culprit while being dragged. Once they stopped he was swarmed by a mass of ravenous flesh eaters. He screamed.

"No!" Roiya leaped sword-first into that horde, _Frostbite_ singing with every blow. By the time Caleb joined the foray, the ground was covered in broken ice. "Dad!" He cleaved his way through only to find his father laying prone on the ground. "DAD!"

"Get him out of here!" Roiya said as she attempted to hold the rest of them back.

For once, Caleb did not argue and did just that. He carried his father away from the battle with Roiya slowly giving ground. At the doorstep, he found Aldarn busy with his own battle. He could not leave the door unguarded while his friends were out fighting so he fought off any thing that got near. A Negotiator clipped his cheek with a dagger and he was bleeding but a clip from his sword was far more devastating. The assassin fell.

"Aldarn…my father…take him inside," Caleb gasped with each breath.

"What happened?" Aldarn took the unconscious Julian from Caleb.

"It was close. Just get him inside…and Aldarn…I think he may have been bitten. Be careful."

The look in his friend's eyes mimicked his own horror.

Caleb turned to find the horde closing in around Roiya. "Roiya, get inside now!"

"Working on it." It seems not even a magic sword could hold back the legion of the damned. Caleb joined her by her side and starting hacking and slashing, you're exhausted! Get in, I've got your back!"

Roiya wearily obeyed and she stumbled inside the door. Caleb followed only after making a mess of the street and slammed the door shut. He felt like he'd been fighting for days. Gore all over clothes, the warrior tried this best to barricade the door. Outside the horde battered. He knew there was no stopping them this time. They were getting in and the rebels weren't getting out again. Caleb moved back and cried out when he felt someone behind him. It was Aldarn. "You okay?"

"How's dad?" He asked with no concern for himself.

"Roiya's looking at him. Come on. We'd better get downstairs before the barricades," The door crashed down and all around them windows were breaking open. "Fall."

Both boys rushed to the cellar, killing any zombie that happened to be faster than the others who got in their way. The battle down that one hall seemed to take forever as they had to fight for every inch they made. It was Blunk of all people who managed to help them on their way. The little passling, tired of just sitting this one out, came charging up with his mace. His small stature allowed him to get in unnoticed and smash kneecaps, ankles and feet. His intervention wreaked havoc on the horde and allowed Caleb and Aldarn to fall back. Once they were inside the cellar, the warriors closed the door shut and began to barricade the door.

"Guess…those…wards…don't work…anymore," Caleb said through gasps.

"His magic…is too…strong," Aldarn said in much the same way. "Pitterbee…says…won't hold."

"Perfect." Caleb turned to regard his team. Aldarn was hardly standing and Blunk was shivering like a frightened child. On the far wall, Roiya, who was the worse for wear, was tending to his father who was slumped against the wall. She bandaged his wounds but the festering molds around certain cuts alerted him to the very real danger that his father may not remain his father for much longer. Phobos, that nuisance, was standing again. He had his back to Caleb and had his head against the wall. He, like Julian, was almost killed tonight. His magic drained, Phobos was useless for the remainder of this fight.

Miss Pitterbee sat before an orb, communicating with her god. They could use some divine intervention right about now.

"So what now?" Aldarn asked his lifelong friend.

"Now we do what we do best." Caleb turned to the door which was rapidly giving way. "Stand our ground hold out to the bitter end."

"That doesn't seem like much of a plan."

"You're right." He couldn't help but laugh. "You're right."

--

**Another chapter...another inspiration. Time it took to complete: five hours. You heard right. I finished this in an afternoon. I think it's the most action-packed so far so perhaps that is why is was easy to write. To all my readers here, after a long hiatus, is the latest addition to "The Chink in Your Armor: The Unlikliest of Heroes."**


	12. Chapter 12

Miles away from where the battle was taking place, a group of powerful men gathered around a pool

_Previously…_

"_Perfect." Caleb turned to regard his team. Aldarn was hardly standing and Blunk was shivering like a frightened child. On the far wall, Roiya, who was the worse for wear, was tending to his father who was slumped against the wall. She bandaged his wounds but the festering molds around certain cuts alerted him to the very real danger that his father may not remain his father for much longer. Phobos, that nuisance, was standing again. He had his back to Caleb and had his head against the wall. He, like Julian, was almost killed tonight. His magic drained, Phobos was useless for the remainder of this fight._

_Miss Pitterbee sat before an orb, communicating with her god. They could use some divine intervention right about now._

"_So what now?" Aldarn asked his lifelong friend._

"_Now we do what we do best." Caleb turned to the door which was rapidly giving way. "Stand our ground hold out to the bitter end."_

"_That doesn't seem like much of a plan."_

"_You're right." He couldn't help but laugh. "You're right."_

--

12- Loss

Miles away from where the battle was taking place, a group of powerful men gathered around a pool. In its surface they could see the chaos that ravaged their city. An army of undead, many of them their former servants, rummaged around the ruined streets, killing anyone that they happened upon. With each slain individual, the horde grew and soon it would gain enough strength to challenge the power of the Lords of Limen. Their power.

"How could this have happened?" Asked one of the Lords, currently shrouded behind a veil. Each of the barons was sitting behind a one-way veil, so that they may see the pool but no one may see their faces. This secret society knew each other by rank and by name, but not by face. It was a way to ensure security as well as keeping their identities a secret. In a city where allies were just as likely to kill you as your enemies, secrets were the only things that kept you alive.

"We must send more troops," said another.

"And have them become part of the horde when they are cut down?" The one next to him said. "The undead never tire and no manner of weapon can destroy them for long. They always return stronger and more ravenous than ever!"

"He's right. Sending the Guard will only serve to increase their numbers. We must barricade the horde within that district and cut them off from the rest of the city."

"But what about the people still inside? If we trap them with the horde then surely they will become a part of it. Their numbers will rise either way."

"We'll evacuate as many as we can. Have the Guard bring plenty of torches. Zombies don't like fire."

"But that still leaves us with the problem that is the Necromancer."

"Yes! What do we do about him?"

"Curse that fowl creature."

"A little late for that I suppose."

"Enough!" Commanded a booming voice. All veiled faces turned to the baron who had spoken. His was the oldest and most powerful voice in the room, indicating a level of authority that far exceeded his humped frame. "Listen to you! All of you! You act as if this is a manner beyond our abilities. We've faced far greater threats to our barony than the Necromancer."

"He is a powerful lich, High Lord."

"Agreed. Even when our organization was expanding to encompass the entire city and the province, we never opposed the Necromancer."

"He's always left us alone before. If we do the same, he'll…"

"Burn down this entire city," the High Lord finished. "Are we to do nothing while everything we've worked so hard to build is destroyed? The Necromancer is an aggressor. What do we do to aggressors in our city?"

"We eliminate them."

"Exactly." The High Lord glared down at the image of the Necromancer. The lich observed his minions going about their slaughter.

"The one question is why, after all this time, has he decided to turn on us now?" asked an inquisitive Lord.

"Perhaps the scrying pool can tell us more. It shows us everything that happens in our city regardless of where or _when_ it takes place. Go back some. I want to see the precursor to all this." At the High Lord's command, the pool reverted to a more timely period. This one showed the horde consolidating around a lone house in the Market District. The Necromancer was up front. Upon his command, his legion assailed the house. Among them were several Negotiators. "Aren't those the masked assassins in the employ of the Pirate's Guild?"

"Indeed, High Lord. But what are they doing with the Necromancer?"

"Perhaps," ventured another. "They had the misfortune of becoming unwitting members of his army."

"Let's observe." The High Lord and his fellows watched as the initial attack was repelled and the horde pulled back. After a notable reprieve, the door opened and a man in dark robes stepped out. He challenged the Necromancer to a duel. "I am Prince Phobos, Ruler of Meridian, Bane of Candracar and Foe to Nerissa and you are all DEAD MEN!" With that, the two began to fight.

"Did he say Prince Phobos?"

"As in the usurper of the throne of Meridian?"

"What is he doing in Limen?"

"I thought Nerissa had him imprisoned."

"I heard rumors he joined the new rebellion."

"But that's impossible! They would never ally themselves with him."

"Enemy of my enemy and all that."

"Silence! I want to see what happens next." As the High Lord observed, the battle between the two spellcasters caused a fire to erupt throughout the streets below. As the fire spread, a lone warrior came charging out of the house, attacking the zombies and cleaving them with little effort. "The Guild shall never fall!" He cried. "Once we uncover the secret to Nerissa's weapon we shall destroy you all! This city will be ours! You, the Lords, the measly Guard, you'll all cower before us like grass in a storm. Our will shall not be denied. All hail the Pirate's Guild! Let all who stand against us feel our steel!"

"Did he just say what I heard him say?"

"The Pirate's Guild?! They have a hand in this?"

"What is this about Nerissa's weapon?"

"Is he working for them?"

"Is Prince Phobos?"

"Has the Guild somehow recruited that powerful wizard into their ranks?"

"Here comes the Guard," One of them pointed out though the others were too busy asking questions to care.

"High Lord, we must do something."

"Rally the Guard! We must attack the Pirate's Guild!"

"High Lord, please," pleaded the baron next to him.

Frustrated at the bickering of the so-called masters of the city, the High Lord raised his voice until it boomed, using magic to enhance it even further. "BE QUIET!" The entire room shook. All was silent. "Good. Now let's start talking like sensible men instead of rambling children! We must move quickly before our entire city is burned to the ground."

"Or conquered by the lich," one dared to say.

"What was THAT?"

"Nothing, High Lord."

He humphed. "Thoughts?"

"Look!" All eyes returned to the pool and watched as Prince Phobos was mortally wounded by the Necromancer. "The prince is dead!"

"No he's not," said another as his companions rushed to his aid. Phobos was taken inside while two warriors rushed to the assistance of a third who was being mauled by zombies. The managed to rescue their endangered companion and rush him inside. The Lords observed as the horde began their assault anew on the house and the Necromancer flared to life on the roof. His power was extraordinary.

"That settles it! He must be stopped!"

"Send our strongest wizards to help entrap the lich and his army within the district. That will keep them from spreading."

"Not to mention make it easier to stop them once and for all."

"But how long can we contain them?"

"Long enough."

"The Necromancer is too strong."

"If some of us go we can lend our strength to our forces and…"

"I don't want to become a zombie."

"Are you a coward?"

"What did you say?"

The High Lord wailed. "Why am I surrounded by such incompetence? Do you realize the longer we bicker the greater the chance we may lose this city from right out under our feet?" He held up his hand. "I'll tell you what we should do. Half of you come with me and we shall deal with this Necromancer ourselves. Should we cower now before an aggressor the people will think us weak and I'll become a lich myself before I allow that to happen." He held up his hand. "The rest of you, raise our army. You will lead an attack on the Pirate's Guild and find that weapon. If the rumors are true then it is the very weapon Nerissa has been constructing in Kazan all this time. How the pirates managed to obtain it proves a lack in our intelligence department. We must not let them keep it. It may be our only trump card against Nerissa."

"A battle against the Necromancer _and_ the Guild? High Lord, that will strain our resources to the limit."

"Not to mention that infighting between the city's great powers will surely destroy that which we're trying to control!"

"Master, if Limen is destroyed, how will we defend ourselves? Limen is the only free city left!"

"In truth I'd rather see it burn then fall into the hands of that witch." He spoke venomously. "But if we manage to defeat the Necromancer and obtain the weapon which she has so reverently guarded then Nerissa may think twice about challenging us."

"Then we go to war?"

The High Lord took a deep breath and said, "Yes. The Lords are going to war.

--

Julian groaned.

"How is he?" Caleb asked Roiya as he came to her side. The pirate had tended to him gingerly, like a lover, and the look in her face when she turned to face him said it all.

"I don't know, Caleb." Then she said, "To be honest, I don't think Julian will last very long." She heard him intake a breath of air. "I'm afraid I don't have any anti-zombie potions. Funny, you'd think after all I'd seen I'd be prepared for anything. Even this." She turned to stroke Julian's head. He was ice cold. Pale. It wouldn't be long now. "Julian," She looked back to Caleb. "Caleb…I am so sorry."

"Dad…"

Blunk whimpered at the sight of Julian hanging by a thread. He'd come to respect the man greatly—as much as any passling can respect anyone. He was one of the few who ever treated Blunk with the respect reserved for a hero, something it took a war and a lot of close calls to gain from Caleb and the girls. He would miss Julian. He was his friend. He was _his_ hero. "He no die."

Caleb glanced at Blunk. Despite the sadness building in his eyes, he managed a smile. "You're right. He won't." Taking the time to wipe the moisture from his eyes he added, "Not so long as I live. My father will never be forgotten."

"Not like this."

"What?"

Roiya was shaking her head. "It can't end like this. Not after all these years…Julian, it wasn't supposed to be this way."

Reaching out, Caleb grabbed Roiya by the arm and brought her up. "What are you talking about?" Suspicion making its way into his voice.

Roiya seemed reluctant to continue but she did so anyway. "Your father was right about me, Caleb. I…I betrayed him."

He could feel his grip tighten around her, could feel her wince, but he did not let her go.

"Julian trusted me. I left him to die."

"Roiya, start making sense."

"I'm sorry."

He shook her violently. "Roiya!"

"Ow!"

"Tell me what happened." It seemed pointless now. What happened between her and Julian was so long ago, before his time. What could learning about it serve him now? His father was dying, they were about to die, what use was this one revelation? Closure? Caleb wasn't the one that needed it. His dad did, but he likely wasn't about to get it. "Talk!"

"Caleb…"

A bright flash of light filled the room and when he looked, Miss Pitterbee was gone!

Blunk cried out. "Old Lady gone! Old Lady gone!"

"We have eyes, Blunk!" Aldarn had been watching the door when the cleric made her sudden exit. Turning, he was nearly blinded by the flash of light and was just now recovering. With all that happened it was only natural for him to be a little angry. "Where'd she go?"

"No!" Caleb released Roiya and stalked towards the spot where Pitterbee had once been. Like some fool he reached out as if thinking she'd turned invisible. But it was not so. Pitterbee was gone in every sense of the word.

"Caleb?"

He shook his head. "I cannot believe this!" Hands pulling at his hair, Caleb screamed. Phobos, Aldarn, Roiya and Blunk gawked at his outburst. They'd never seen him lose his cool like this. They watched as Caleb turned towards the nearest stone wall and punched it with all his might. He did it again and again. His fists screamed in pain but he did not cease. He was angry. Angry with Pitterbee. Angry with himself. Angry with his mother. Angry with this war. Angry with living. Angry! Angry! Angry!

"Stop it!" Aldarn protested.

"Yes, that wall has never done anything to you," Phobos said and received a murderous glare from Aldarn. "Just trying to help." He shrugged.

Blunk tried to approach him but his friend was too lost in his rage to hear his words. "Caleb need to stop! This not help papa. This not help Corny. This not help you!"

"Shut up!" He screamed. Blunk cringed. "I wish the entire world will just shut the hell up! I'm sick of this crap! I'm tired of fighting! I'm tired of watching those I care about suffer! Phobos! Nerissa! The Council! We're always getting caught in the middle of somebody else's fight! Well I've had it!" His voice wavered. "I've already lost Cornelia. Now I'm about to lose my father." He fell to the floor. "Now I'm about to lose everything. Meridian, Earth, it's all finished!"

"Not finished."

"Give it up, Blunk!"

The passling backed off.

Aldarn exclaimed. "We've still got a war to win, Caleb! The rebellion depends on you, we all do. Julian needs,"

"My father is dead!"

"No he's not!"

"He will be…"

"Caleb!"

"Enough, Aldarn!" He fully sagged now. "Just…enough…"

Aldarn shook his head.

Phobos rolled his eyes. "Well this is pathetic."

Hearing him, Caleb reared around, his eyes burning. "You…" Like a rocket, Caleb sped across the room and pinned Phobos against the far wall. The others cried out as he removed a dagger from his belt and brought it to his neck. "You've been nothing but trouble. You've always been our enemy. You…" His voice fumed. "If my father hadn't gone to get you he would be all right. Because of your selfishness he is about to die."

"I saved his life!" Phobos argued.

"One which is infinitely more important than yours. Look at him, Phobos. Look!" The ex-prince did as he was told. Julian's skin was a pasty white and his breathing was slowing. "He and countless others are suffering because of people like you. My mother, the Necromancer, you're all alike. You can't leave well enough alone, you only care about yourselves and what you want. Well this time I'm about to get what I want. Justice! My father is about to die, Phobos. But not before you." He pressed the knife closer and Phobos gasped.

"Caleb…"

His father's voice stopped him cold.

Dropping the knife and Phobos, Caleb rushed to his father's side. Phobos coughed as he sat up, massaging his throat. A trickle of blood appeared when he pulled his hand away and he grimaced. How dare he pull a knife on him? How dare he?! Had he the strength Phobos would blast him into oblivion. As it stood he found a substitute—right under his hand. The dagger Caleb had pressed against his jugular was now in his custody. Grabbing the hilt, Phobos stood, his face promising swift retribution. He approached Caleb who had been surrounded by the others when they heard Julian speak. With an open path to his target, the wizard prepared to thrust the knife into the back of this thorn at his side.

No, he thought. The neck. He would hear Caleb gurgle his last breath, watch him turn in horror as he discovered it was he who had slain him—his oldest enemy. Yes. That would be so much better than in the back of the heart where he would die swiftly. Nerissa would not have him. Phobos would! Even if his friends slew him afterward, he'd have joined Caleb in Hell knowing he had his vengeance.

As the fool muttered over his father's prone body, he leaned over, a perfect execution pose. Phobos smiled. He raised the knife.

The house shook. All except Caleb looked up. Blunk noticed Phobos holding the knife and he gawked. Phobos quickly hid the knife behind his back, awkwardly smiling at the passling as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

Another tremor shook the house, stronger this time. Outside, the zombies who had so been trying to break into the cellar had ceased all such action.

"What is going on?" Aldarn asked. Too bad there were no windows. He rushed toward the broken door and peeked outside. "They're just standing there," he told the others. "They're not attacking anymore."

"How fortunate for us." Phobos glanced at Blunk who was still looking at him curiously. "Err…perhaps the tide has turned."

"But in whose favor?" Roiya asked.

"Hey!" Aldarn began as the house shook again. "They're leaving!"

"What?" Phobos rushed to the door and forcibly shoved Aldarn aside. He saw the zombie, a full score of them filling the narrow hall, shambling up the stairs and away from the door. They seemed to have lost all interest in them and were now heading out of sight. But why? "Where are they going?"

"You sound displeased," Aldarn said.

"I don't understand it. They have us trapped and they leave? Why? It doesn't make any sense."

"Should it?"

Phobos stood back. "This is our chance! We must go!"

"Go where?"

"Anywhere you fool! We must escape!"

"But we're not finished here."

"I say we are." He pointed to Caleb. "Our glorious leader is no more. The mission is a complete failure! I say we cut our losses and get out while we still can." He steadied himself after another shake. "We will only die if we stay here."

"And that scares you."

"Don't give me that that, Aldarn! You know as well as I that this is all over."

"You're right." He smiled. "For you." His sword appeared in his hand in a flash, leveled straight at Phobos."

"What are you doing?"

"Cutting our losses. Caleb is right. You are nothing but trouble. Julian was hurt trying to get you and is paying the price. Had it been me or Caleb, the same thing would have happened. You look out for no one but yourself."

"I was fighting the Necromancer!" Phobos picked at the hole in his clothes. "He stabbed me! I almost died!"

"But you didn't."

"It's hardly my fault if that pirate wench could not heal Julian. I never asked to be saved." He motioned around. "I didn't ask for any of this!"

"Neither did we. But that didn't stop you from destroying our lives."

"What are you going to do, Aldarn? Kill me?"

"You know too much. The location of our base. Our strength. Our numbers. Our capabilities. You're a loose end." The rebel's eyes hardened. "What would you do?"

"I…" But Phobos stopped. He would not plead to this peasant. If he was to die here then it would be as a prince, no, a king. "Do it!"

The roof caved in. An energy blast bore through the upper floor and created a hole that went up through the ceiling. Phobos and Aldarn coughed and fell to the floor. The first to recover, Phobos looked up. Beams of energy flicked across the night sky and he need not be a wizard to know that a magical battle was in place. Someone was attacking the Necromancer. A great many someones by the look of it. He could also make out the clash of steel and the cries of the wounded and the howls of the undead. It was war!

_This is my chance!_

Using the last of his magic, Phobos levitated up through the hole. He was shaky and could barely keep himself straight but he did manage to latch onto the next level with his feet dangling. Phobos frantically pulled himself up just as he heard Aldarn swearing his name. Collapsing on the floor, Phobos dared a peek back down. Aldarn, still coughing, jabbed his sword at him futilely. If he jumped he would just be able to catch the edge of the gap, but Phobos wasn't about to give him the chance. "I wish I could say it's been nice knowing you." He stood up. "But even I can tell so many lies."

Shaking himself of the dust and of the rebellion, the wizard trudged his way through the ruined house. Pieces of zombies still littered the floor, with hands and feet and even a few heads poking, kicking, are snapping at him as he walked pass. Phobos ignored them and went straight for the window. The Necromancer and his horde were locked in battle with a group of robed men and the City Guard. The men were wizards and they exchanged magical blows with the powerful lich. On the ground, zombie and guardsman alike were locked in a bitter fight for supremacy. If a guardsman went down, he would return as one of the undead, adding strength to the lich's already formidable forces so they resolved to hacking the zombies to pieces—particularly their heads. They also used fire. Many of their weapons were enchanted with flame spells and as they cut through the zombies, the undead burst into flames. Others used torches, fire arrows or just chopped with wild abandon.

All in all, it was a pretty even fight.

"May you all suffer miserable ends."

Phobos made his way toward the back door and after checking for any surprises, made a hasty retreat into the alley behind the house.

--

Caleb was lost. He heard his father speak and rushed to his side. Try as he might, Caleb called out to Julian. He pleaded with him, begged him to speak to him again. But there was nothing. It was if Julian had used his final breath to speak to his son one last time.

"Dad?"

"He's dead," Roiya muttered.

But Caleb did not hear her. He touched Julian's head and felt his heart stop as it just slumped to the side. "Dad?"

Kneeling beside him, Roiya began to cry. He head in her hand, her shoulders heaving with sobs, the pirate could feel every fiber of her being in anguish. Julian was gone. Her Julian. The man she betrayed all those years ago. She never got to tell him how sorry she was. "Forgive me, Julian."

"Dad?"

She turned to Caleb. Seeing him now on the verge of tears, no longer the stoic, battle-hardened commander of the rebellion but a son who'd just lost his father, she rubbed his neck. "He's dead, Caleb."

"Dad?" He was whimpering now.

Without thinking, Roiya threw her arms around his neck. "I'm so sorry."

Fighting and losing, tears began to flow. This was it. He'd just lost the last family he had on this world. Julian had been his hero. He had been everything Caleb wanted to be and more. He'd always been his mentor and his guide. No greater father had there been on this world or any other. Not that it mattered. Caleb's world had come falling down around him.

That proved to be more literal as the roof of the cellar came crashing down. Phobos had escaped through the gap and was gone, Aldarn shouting threats after him. He gave up trying to "carve Phobos a new one" and instead turned on to Caleb. "Caleb! Phobos has…" He stopped when he saw what had happened. "Oh no."

Caleb and Roiya grieved. Blunk began to cry as well.

"No…" Aldarn clasped his fist. "Dammit!" He slammed the tip of his sword into the floor; the blade quivered back and forth.

Leaving it, Aldarn approached his comrades. He knelt beside them. "This is not right. It should be Phobos lying there right now, not Master Julian." He allowed a few tears to fall out. Wiping them off, Aldarn spoke through clenched teeth. "We can't let his death be in vain. We have to finish this. For Julian!"

But it was Roiya who spoke to him. "Are you mad? Take a look around you. This city is tearing itself apart. Your presence has done more damage to my home than Nerissa ever could."

"So you blame us for this?"

"I blame whatever powers would sit back and watch people suffer. This world has gone mad and no matter how hard we fight, no matter how many enemies we vanquish, we will never be able to purge it of all its wrongs."

"Wrongs? You're a pirate for Oracle's sake!"

"I'm a survivor. Would you have me work in a brothel or as some slave? Everywhere I go I see people struggling to survive while those on high reap all the benefits. You wonder why I'm a pirate? It's because I refuse to become a victim. People die everyday, Aldarn. It doesn't matter whether it's Phobos or Elyon or Nerissa, people will always die for others' mistakes. I don't doubt I will die one day, but it will be at a moment of my choosing." She buried her face into Caleb's hair. "I just wish we didn't have to die. I'm tired of losing those I care about."

"Roiya—"

"We have to go," Caleb said.

Roiya raised her head just as Caleb stood up. Aldarn took a step back while Blunk just gawked at him. Caleb looked very different to the passling as if…as if a part of him had died.

"Roiya," he began—a deep undertone to his voice. "Do you know the way to the Pirate's Guild?"

"Yes, but,"

"Then take us there." He ordered, not asked. "We still have a job to do."

"Caleb, I realize that everyone has a way of dealing with the loss of a loved one—but charging into one of the most heavily guarded instillations in all of Meridian it taking it a bit too far."

"We won't be alone." He turned away and made for the door. The zombies had nearly broken through and it bent inwards with splinters all over the floor. Caleb began to dismantle the remainder of the barricade as Aldarn spoke to him next.

"Listen, Caleb, you know I'm with you and I want to see this through to the end myself. But there are only four of us." He felt a pain in his stomach as soon as he said that. Four of them. Of the original five who had entered the city of Limen, only Caleb, Blunk and himself were left. Roiya was a temporary addition to their group and who knows how much longer she'd stick with them. When they left the city, there would be just three. How could they return to their comrades and tell them that Julian, the creator of the rebellion and hero to all Meridian, was dead?

Caleb ripped out the final plank and opened the door. He was up the stairs before Aldarn could hurry up and follow. "Caleb," he called. Did he just plan to leave his father's body down here? Rotting? Food for flies? "Caleb!" Aldarn reached the top and searched for his friend. Caleb was rummaging through the ruined cabinets which had been strewn across the floor during the battle. "What are you doing?"

"Looking for this." He uprooted a broken lantern with its top half still missing. "Get the others out into the alley. I'll be right there."

Aldarn watched as he brushed past him into another part of the house. He followed and almost bumped into Roiya who had just come up the stairs. "Where is he?"

"In the lounge, I think. He says we should go the alley."

"But Julian…" Roiya's eyes widened all of a sudden. "Oh. I see."

"See? See what?"

"Come, Aldarn. He needs to do this alone."

"Do what? Where are you going?" He called after Roiya. "Roiya!"

"Blunk!" She cried. They heard the little passling scramble up the steps after them and when he did his face was full of excitement. "Caleb's daddy not dead! Blunk see him move!" the naïve creature said. "Caleb! Daddy alive! Daddy," Aldarn silenced him with a tug at his collar. "Huh? What going on?"

Suddenly, Aldarn understood. He knew what Caleb was about to do. "Let's go Blunk." He dragged the passling toward the back exit where Roiya was standing guard by the door. The two them did not look back, though Blunk kept trying to get their attention. He was like a child not fully understanding that certain things could be done by certain people. "But daddy alive!"

Inside, Caleb returned to the cellar with the broken lamp and a match. Down the stairs he found the place empty as he had wanted it. It was just him and his father. No. He wasn't his father anymore.

The thing across the room was beginning to stir, its head slinking back and forth as it began to gain consciousness. Caleb stood unwavering in the task he'd set before him. His footsteps fell loudly as he approached the zombie, removing the small flask on the lantern. Without a second thought he began pouring the oil all over the thing that was once his father. It protested slightly, but made no move to stop him—it was as if somewhere deep down inside, what little part that was Julian remained agreed with what he was about to do. Destroying his head wouldn't be enough. Julian would be purified in the fires of his son's love.

Caleb began to spread the oil around until the lantern was empty. Blocking out the sounds of the battle outside, Caleb raised the match lit it using the leather hilt of his sword. Standing over his father, Caleb prepared to perform his one final act as his son. "Dad, whatever part of you can hear me, know this: you have always been my hero and my inspiration. You've completed me. I'll never look up to anyone the same as I've done to you. Remember always that I love you and that I promise I will not stop fighting until our world is free from Nerissa." There were no tears, only silent vows. "I will never forget you." He tossed the match.

As the cellar began to burn, Caleb stepped out of the house without once looking back. Aldarn, Blunk, and Roiya were waiting for him in the back. "Take us to the Guild," He told Roiya without regarding her and they parted to let him pass.

The pirate didn't show any contempt at being ordered around like a common deck hand. She understood Caleb was going through tremendous pain and that he would cry for his father in private…but not now. No. Right now they had a wrong to right and by so doing would at least bring some meaning to Julian's sacrifice. Putting on her wide hat, Roiya paid one final glance at the burning house and said her last goodbyes to Julian before following his son.

"But what about daddy?" Blunk asked Aldarn who looked like it pained him too much to even talk about it?

"He's gone, Blunk. He's in a better place." He watched Caleb and Roiya slink away into the shadows of the alley and then back to the house. "A place without Nerissa and monsters and battles. Julian is a peace. Some day I hope to see him again." His gaze lifted to the stars. "Watch over us, Master Julian. We still have a long road ahead of us." He did a silent prayer. "Come on, Blunk." He and the passling left the battle behind them…and the legacy of a proud man.

--

Phobos hated scrounging around in the shadows like a rat but with his powers depleted he had no choice but to remain out of sight. The whole city was in an uproar as the Lords battle the Necromancer and his horde. Already the Guard were closing off the streets leading to the battlefield and Phobos knew he had to hurry else he get trapped within.

Citizens panicked in the streets and he had to take care not to get swept up in the mob. Stealing a robe that hung from a low clothes-iron, Phobos tried to blend in as he stepped out into the open. He was almost knocked over several times before he made it across the street. Rubbing his bruises and cursing the day he ever set eyes on that rebel warrior, Phobos panned back to get some breathing room. He needed energy and fast but he must do so discreetly else the Guard, who were out in force, spot him and make his life even more difficult.

Now if only these fools would stop running around so fast.

Phobos gasped when a Guardsman stepped out in front of him. Then he realized that the large brute had his back to him, urging the citizens to keep moving with a large steel halberd. Seeing his chance, and making sure none of his fellows was around to interfere, Phobos slowly reached out with his hand, preparing to steal the man's energy as he once did the entire world's.

Only he never got the chance.

Someone grabbed Phobos and pulled him back into a passage that lead into a dead end between two squat buildings. Phobos stumbled and fell to his back where he immediately reared around to face the impudent interloper. It was then that his eyes went wide and his mouth gawked open. "You!"

--

**A few things changed while I was writing this one, but rest assured we're almost to the finish. Thanks to everyone who reviews and any comments, complaints, or suggestions you may have feel free to post them on my forum regarding TCIYA. Thanks guys and I hope you enjoyed it!**


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